RANCHO SAN ANTONIO
Although Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space is in Santa Clara County and part of the Santa Clara County Parks system, it is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District as part of an Operations & Management Agreement between the two districts. It has an excellent equestrian parking area for unloading and can be considered a 'gateway' park to other areas beyond.
|
Trails are dirt and gravel and usually go in one of two directions - up or down! Flat is reserved for the ridge tops and meadows
|
Within its boundaries are over 25 miles of equestrian trails which will lead into other parks and trails. In fact, if one wants to really plan a trail ride, one can ride from Rancho San Antonio into Monte Bello Preserve and then into Uppers Stevens Creek County Park. From here one faces the decision of which way to ride? On into Saratoga Gap Preserve, Castle Rock State Park, taking the Sea Trail into Big Basin Redwoods State Park and over the ridge and into the horsecamp at Rancho del Oso off Highway 1? Or, into Long Ridge Preserve, Portola State Park, Pescadero Creek County Park into Sam McDonald County Park and into the Jack Brooks Horse Camp? Both trips from Rancho San Antonio average about a 100 miles each but for now, exploring Rancho San Antonio is the goal of this article.
To reach Rancho San Antonio one takes 280 to the Foothill Blvd. exit. If coming from San Francisco, go south on 280 and from Gilroy, take 280 north. |
If coming over from Danville, Dublin, Pleasanton area take 680 to 237 in Milpitas. Go west and stay on 237 to the 85 exit that says Santa Cruz. (It's a sharp exit ramp from 237 to 85 so slow down.) Follow 85 and the signs that say 280 San Francisco. As one exits 85 onto 280, stay to the right -- the next off ramp is Foothill Blvd. There are signs in both direction on 280 for the Foothill Blvd. exits and little Rancho San Antonio County Park signs along the freeway so keep an eye open for them.
Once on Foothill Blvd., turn right onto Cristo Rey Drive. Follow Cristo Rey through the roundabout and over the hill to the park entrance. There's a BIG sign on left so you can't miss the entrance but as you turn in, slow down! There's speed bumps and they ARE bumps. After speed bump, go to the left, down the hill and into the equestrian parking area.
If the designated equestrian slot is full, just go a little
beyond and turn into the dirk parking lot
|
Just follow the signs to the
equestrian staging area |
...and be sure to follow all rules
|
The staging area is all dirt, some gravel. There's one big space marked 'Equestrian Parking' but if a rig is in there, go past and make a right into the dirt parking lot -- there's a little sign on fence post that again says 'Equestrian Parking'. The parking lot makes a loop so one doesn't have to back out.
Most of the trails are open to hikers and equestrians and a few allow bikers on them. But, expect to see bikers anyway. The day I was there, from the equestrian staging area which is part of a multi-use area I met two bikers coming down the hike-horse trail. They rode on over the bridge and down to the main paved parking lot. (Which by the way is about a city block away with nice bathrooms!) Like all trails in the Bay Area you're bound to see users in areas they aren't suppose to be in -- so remember that.
The County Park section is about 165 acres but combined with the 3,800 acres of Open Space, the trails offer a wide and diverse environment. Hours are from dawn to one half-hour after sunset -- then the gates get locked! NO DOGS ALLOWED and its best to leave 'em home anyway because there is no shade in the parking lot and it gets HOT! In fact, temperatures can go over 100 out on some of the trails so the best time to plan a ride is early morning or watch the fog on the hills to determine if its a good day for a ride.
Fog from the ocean spills over the hill ridges. If one sees a good layer of fog with a lip hanging into the valley, it's a good day for a ride at Rancho San Antonio. Breezes will be blowing and the temperatures about 80. Again the day I was there, the fog was hanging on the hills, a good breeze was blowing, temperatures in the high 70's, low 80's and a great day for a ride!
The bridge! You have to cross it to begin trail riding
There could be one 'minor' obstacle to getting onto the trails though. The bridge! From the staging area over the creek and to the trail is the bridge. It's arched in the center. About six feet wide with 5 foot sides covered with chain link fence. It has brush growing in it but it's still a bridge.
Bridge decking is 12 inch planking with 1-1/2 to 2 inch spacing between boards and it makes noise! One gal I talked to had been there for "at least two hours" trying to get her horse over the bridge. But "it's a good way to train a horse to cross a bridge and at least we're not on the other side, tired and trying to go home" she stated. (She did get the horse over the bridge and after 5 or 6 back and forth trips, loaded up and went home adding "We'll come back again!".)
After crossing the bridge, head straight up the trail (don't go right). Climbs will be about 600 to 1200 feet overall so I'd suggest a breast collar, a canteen of water, a hat and horse shoes. Trail treads are dirt with some pretty good size gravel in places. So take a hoofpick also to remove any little gravel pieces that wedge between frog and hoof wall or under shoe.
About a half mile up the Coyote Trail from the staging area one will encounter the first trail division. Go left, down the hill and through the gate one will ride the PG& E trail and you're now in the Open Space Preserve. From this trail one can make one big loop or turn off onto another trail for another loop.
One tricky spot, about 1.6 miles down the trail is a 'Y'. If you go left you'll still follow the PG&E trail for about another 2 miles to the Vista Point. It's a beautiful ride but it gets hot. I turned right at the 'Y' and went up to the Wildcat Loop, to that Vista Point (one can see all the way across the Bay to Mission Peak and on a clear day Mt. Hamilton and even Mt. Tamalpais), then right again to the High Meadow Trail, past Deer Hollow Farm along the Coyote Trail and back to the staging area. Total distance about 7 miles.
If one rides the whole PG&E Trail, distance is about 4 miles from the gate then up to the Upper High Meadow Trail and back to Wildcat Loop Trail. Total distance that way is about 12 miles back to the staging area.
The equestrian 'rest area' with bench, water trough, usually in the shade
Once back and over the bridge, take a few minutes before loading up for home and let the horse relax. Coming off the bridge back into the staging area and to the left is a bench and a water trough (filled with water when I was there but I still bucket watered) in the shade. Enjoy the breeze, have a cool drink and let your favorite trail horse relax. This is a long ride and your friend has accomplished his task well -- so give him a break before trailering and just enjoy the feeling of 'horse and rider'.
Bonnie's Comments:
- Trails: Dirt with some rock. The Wildcat Loop Trail is popular with hikers, runners and joggers so expect to meet (and greet) 'em. It follows the creek through a cool, fern-walled narrow canyon then climbs through chaparral to the open meadow on the middle ridge. Up here, it's hot! Stop in the shade of trees and stay to the right on trails so others can pass.
- Trail Condition Report: 1-650-691-1200
- Climbs: 600 to 1200. Steep in some places. Switchbacks.
- Terrain: Level, flat, climbs. Open meadows so it gets hot - bring a hat, sunscreen and fly wipes.
- Reminder: Poison oak and rattlesnakes in the area. They live here. The trail rider is a visitor.
- On Line: www.openspace.org
|
|
|
