Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County, California along the San Francisco Peninsula.  Its  and  of trails are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. 

Description
The preserve consists of both dense forest and open meadows, and common activities in the preserve consist of hiking, Mountain biking and horseback riding.  Its high point is Borel Hill (), from the summit of which one can see east toward the San Francisco Bay with views from San Jose towards San Francisco, as well as the Pacific Ocean to the west. 

Flora
Poppies and lupines are the primary flowers that dominate the green, lush rolling meadows in the spring to early summer, but in the late summer the hills turn gold and are covered with flowers such as the cluster-lily, gumweed, Mules ear, and farewell to spring.  In shaded areas, one can expect to see thimbleberry and a variety of ferns growing. 

Fauna
Several animals can be found on the preserve, such as the coyote, bobcat, bats and birds such as the american kestrel and northern harrier. 

Access
Parking for the preserve can be found in two parking lots — one lot as roadside parking on the northbound direction of Skyline Boulevard, the other, the Audrey C. Rust Commemorative Site, named after the former president of the Peninsula Open Space Trust, is located just off Alpine Road near the Alpine Road and Skyline Boulevard intersection. 

It can also be accessed through neighboring preserves, such as the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve through the south-east end of the Ridge Trail (part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail system), as well as the Coal Creek Open Space Preserve, by crossing Skyline Boulevard from Coal Creek's Clouds Rest Trail to Russian Ridge's Ridge Trail. 

External links
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District: Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve website

References

Category:Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Category:Protected areas of San Mateo County, California
Category:Nature reserves in California
Category:Bay Area Ridge Trail