Walking the Dog at Pulgas Ridge

Walking the Dog at Pulgas Ridge

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

". . .and is nothing like so good company as a dog." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Directions: West on Edgewood Road to Crestview Drive. Right one block to Edmonds Road. Left one block to trailhead. Or Interstate 280 to Edgewood Road (Redwood City/San Carlos). East for a mile or so to Crestview Drive and left one block to Edmonds Road.

Grade: Moderate. Elevation gain of 450 feet.

Distance: Three miles.

Special Conditions: Dogs on leash allowed on all trails. Watch for a 16-acre off-leash area on Hassler Trail. No water or restrooms available. Watch for poison oak off the trails. Administration of the preserve is by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, (650) 691-1200 or www.openspace.org

While Veralyn maneuvers through her world on crutches, Mack and I continue to search for the best of Peninsula dog walks. This week we revisit Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, arguably the Peninsula’s best open space for walking the dog. The preserve has three miles of trail, ranging from an old asphalt road to pleasant single-track trails that wind through a deep oak forest canyon and over the ridge with clear views west of Highway 280, south to Edgewood Park, and east to homes along Crestview Drive in San Carlos.

Pulgas Ridge is a 366-acre preserve that was once the site of Hassler Health Home, a tuberculosis sanitarium owned by the City of San Francisco. The sanitarium operated from 1926 to 1972. When it closed, several uses were suggested, including housing and an art center that would use the existing buildings. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) purchased the property in 1983, with financial assistance from nearby residents of San Carlos, who formed a tax assessment district. The site was cleared of its buildings in 1985, and the land returned to open space—well almost. The hillsides and canyons are “open,” but not totally “clear,” which makes this such an interesting area for hiking. Areas on both sides of the Hassler Trail (an old asphalt road that serviced the sanitarium) provide evidence of the former use. Hydrants, rock retaining walls, concrete stairways, a wood lattice house, galvanized water pipes, an old gardening dumpsite with broken pots and plant stakes are visible as you wander through the 16-acre off-leash area.

You will also notice some interesting non-native vegetation: ornamental trees, cacti, and shrubs brought from places far away and planted by residents who spent many years at this place recovering from tuberculosis.

Since this is a dog-friendly preserve, Mack, an 8-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever owned by grandsons John and Bobby—but graciously on loan to Grandpa Tom for nine months—has taken a special interest in this special place. Mack’s favorite route is to hike up Blue Oak Trail.

To take this walk, park at the Redwood Center gate and walk west on Edmonds Road, or park across from the Blue Oak Trailhead. Blue Oak Trail climbs up the hillside through a series of gentle switchbacks for .4 mile to the junction with the Hassler Trail. Along the way, you will hike through dense oak woodlands and pass by a trailside bench.

At the junction, turn left on Hassler Trail. You will soon enter the signed 16-acre

off-leash area. Here you and your dog companion may wander around on various unmarked trails that criss-cross through the area. Take some time and look for the steps, rock walls, pipes, and other indications of past history. Some of the trails are narrow, so watch for poison oak.

From the west or upper end of the off-leash area, walk up Hassler Trail .1 mile to the Polly Geraci Trail, or better yet, hike another .3 mile to the trail end just over the fence from a Highway 280 rest stop.

For your return hike, Mack recommends the single-track Polly Geraci Trail, named for a San Carlos resident who is remembered for her work on behalf of the Sierra Club and the MPOSD. At the top of this one-mile trail is a low-lying chaparral area with clear views in all directions. Farther down, the trail switchbacks into a cool, oak-filled canyon, and at the end, it crosses a wooden bridge and joins Cordilleras Trail. Turn right and rejoin the asphalt service road or go left a short distance on the whole-access Cordilleras Trail to the dead end.

Return on the Cordilleras Trail .4 mile to the trailhead. As you walk, the meadow on your right holds a series of equipment buildings that move water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite to the Crystal Springs Reservoir System.

This is a fine, close-in space to walk your dog. But dogs aren’t required. Just plain people may also enjoy these trails, but you may feel just a little out of step on a busy Sunday afternoon.

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