Bay Area Ridge Trail: Fernandez Ranch to Pinole Valley Watershed

Fernandez Ranch is a quintessential California landscape of open grassland and oak–bay woodland. The Ridge Trail, also a section of the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail, passes through varied habitats, and both sun and shade, before it reaches the Pinole Valley Watershed. Visit in the spring to see the green hills covered in poppies, lupine, and Mount Diablo sunflower.

• Length: 1.4 miles one-way (plus 1.4-mile return to trailhead). Car shuttle possible if combined with one leg of Ridge Trail in Pinole Valley Watershed (requires East Bay Utility District permit).

(This trail description is excerpted from the 2019 Guidebook. For details on all trails, trailheads, and more, buy the book from Wilderness Press. For more resources to plan your trip, visit our Trail Tools page.)