Spine Ridge

Near: Moss Beach
Distance: 6 miles
Elevation 50 - 1200 feet
Vegetation: Coastal scrub
Last Visit: August 2020

 

The Spine Ridge Trail (aka Sully's Trail) is one of the few current access routes to the Rancho Corral de Tierra, and undeveloped chunk of the Golden Gate National Recreation area.  This is a new acquisition to the GGNR and building out the trailheads and official trail network will take many years likely.  Most of the trails now accessible to the public in the RCT have no good public parking options.  The Spine Ridge Trail at least is accessible via a dirt road that has space for a few cars to park.  The hike up Spine Ridge is much less nice than the nearby route up to the North Peak of Montara Mountain from Montara State Beach, but it's less crowded.  In theory you can reach that same sprawling ridge line from the Spine Ridge, but we haven't made it far up the trail (on our one visit we were turned around by worsening air quality from a bad season of summer wildfires as we hiked out of the marine layer).  It's also unclear to me how the rules work when crossing San Francisco Watershed land around the top of the ridge.  On the way into the trail you must pass through the Moss Beach Ranch / Ember Equestrian Center.  Please be respectful of private property and don't feed/pet the livestock.  (They have many signs to this effect around the ranch so I guess that's sometimes a problem).

Rules

The rules in the Rancho Corral de Tierra aren't well documented online, but there was a sign at the parking area indicating dogs should be on leash.

Trailhead

A small pullout at the intersection of Etheldore Street and Ranch Road in Moss Beach.  Room for about 6 cars. There are no facilities here, though there is a trashcan for your dog waste.  So no excuse for not picking it up.

Route Notes

The route is just up and back down the ridge.  Getting to the ridge is a bit confusing the first time because it's not obvious the best way through the ranch, but there a few signs up directing you to Spine Ridge. Just head down Ranch Road from the parking area and follow it to the end as it twists around through the ranch.  You will have to go through a couple gates.

 Caltopo Map: https://caltopo.com/m/6S68 

 

 

 

 

Way through the Moss Beach Ranch

Photos

Llama!