California's Hilly Nature Preserve An Hour From San Francisco Has Scenic Trails And Raptor Spotting

Tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains about an hour's drive south of San Francisco, you'll find the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. This 3,137-acre preserve is well worth a trip from the city if you like to spend time in nature and even more so if you like birdwatching. It has more than 10 miles of trails to explore, and it's a beautiful mix of oak forest and open grasslands. On clear days, you can see out over the hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean in one direction and over San Francisco Bay in another.

Russian Ridge got its name from a Russian immigrant who used the land as a dairy ranch for decades until 1950, but the Ohlone people had used it centuries earlier. They would use the ridgeline to travel between the ocean and San Francisco Bay, and you can essentially follow in their footsteps. The preserve is one of the protected areas within the larger Midpeninsula Regional Open Space, which protects more than 70,000 acres of open space through the Santa Cruz Mountains and down towards the Pacific Ocean.

It's known as a great place to spot raptors, also known as birds of prey. Year-round, you're likely to see turkey vultures; it's almost mesmerizing to watch them as they spiral upwards as they catch thermals. You can also see several different hawk species here. Some, like the red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks, are here year-round. In winter, you might also see sharp-shinned hawks. There's even a golden eagle nesting site near Mindego Hill, so while you don't see them here very often, it's worth keeping an eye out. Other year-round raptors include great horned owls, barn owls, and burrowing owls.

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve has miles of trails, including one leading to the highest named point in San Mateo County: Borel Hill, at 2,572 feet. From here, you can get 360-degree views out over the region. If it's clear, you can see all the way across San Francisco Bay to Mount Diablo. Borel Hill is a small side hike off the Ridge Trail, which runs a little more than 2 miles from the parking lot northwest along the ridge until it becomes the Badger's Byway Trail. One thing to note about the Ridge Trail is that it can be windy, and it's largely exposed, so dress accordingly. This trail can be a particularly good spot to see the raptors that the area's known for.

It's also a part of the 400-mile-long Bay Area Ridge Trail that circles San Francisco Bay, so while Russian Ridge definitely makes for a fun day trip from the city, you could make your exploration of this area just the start of a truly epic adventure. If you don't want to tackle the entire Ridge Trail, you can make a loop out of it by joining up with the Charquin and Ancient Oaks trails; this will also give you more shade, as these trails take you into some of the oak woodlands you can find throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains.

For another high point of the preserve with great views, you can make the hike to Mindego Hill. It's about a 5-mile hike, out and back, and along the way, you can see out over the rolling hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's another good bird-watching spot.

The wildflowers that bloom at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve in spring bring bursts of color to the hillsides, and a lot of people come to see them — add it to your list of the best places to see California's wildflowers. Borel Hill is one of the spots at Russian Ridge that's known for wildflower spotting, especially since it's so easy to access. 

While the amount of flowers in bloom can vary depending on how wet the winter has been, you can most often see patches of bright orange poppies and bluish-purple lupines. While it can be tempting to leave the trail to get a picture amidst the pretty flowers, always stay on the trail, and don't pick the flowers. While springtime has the wildflowers, it's a beautiful place year-round. In summer and into fall, the grasses turn a golden color. Winter rains green up the hills, and on very rare occasions, you might even get a dusting of snow.

One thing to keep in mind: Russian Ridge does get busy on warm weekends and holidays, especially during spring when the wildflowers are in bloom. Try for a mid-week visit, especially during wildflower season, to make it easier to find parking. The preserve is open 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset, so there's no camping here. If you're looking for a place to spend the night in the woods nearby, Portola Redwoods State Park, with camping and hiking, is about a 20-minute drive from Russian Ridge and still within the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you want to explore another Midpeninsula Regional Open Space, the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve with its breathtaking bay and ocean views is just a 5-minute drive from Russian Ridge.