Pulgas Ridge Open Space

The Pulgas Ridge Open Space is VERY dog friendly. All the trails allow dogs and there is a HUGE off-leash area located in the middle of the preserve. Almost every hiker I ran into had a dog (or two) with them. My friends dog "Jake" enjoyed the hike and meeting all the other dogs along the way.

The Trailhead is located on the west side of the good size parking lot (which has room for about 15 cars or so). Past the restroom, the Blue Oak Trail starts uphill. The trail is well defined and is well maintained.



This area has the typical trees and brush of the mid-peninsula, but I did notice an over abundance of Poison Oak along the sides of the trail.

The Blue Oak trail meets up with the Hassler Loop trail, that acts as a boarder around the off-leash area. Since its a paved road, I opted for turning Left on to the Sagebrush trail and heading to the Top of the Hill.

The Sagebrush trail is very nice, providing with some great views and small clearings. It leads up to the Hassler Trail which is paved.

Going up the Hassler Trail, you will notice one of the Vista Points off of 280 on the left side. There are triple fences separating the trail from the Vista Point parking lot -- probably a good thing.

There is a interestingly looking trail that is closed which appears to provide a very scenic view of the area. In any case, upon reaching the top of the Hassler Trail, you will experience a number of great views.

Since "Jake" was getting a bit tired we decided to head back the way we came, rather than doing a loop via the Polly Geraci trail to the parking lot.

All in all, not a bad hike -- kind of bland, but the dogs seemed to REALLY enjoy it. Plus the off-leash area has to be one of the biggest in the Bay Area. I did this hike on a Friday and only ran into 3 people, on the weekends it might be fairly busy with dog owners.

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Basics:
Area - Pulgas Ridge Open Space
Trail - Blue Oak/Sagebrush/ Hassler Trail (Trail Map)
Length - 2.6 miles out and back - Easy Hike
Trail - Out and Back-style, dirt trail/paved road, some stops along the way. Very well marked and maintained.
Dogs - Yes - Lots!
Bikes - Not allowed in the preserve
View - Some
Getting There - Google Map Edgewater Road to Crestview, turn Left on Edmonds Road. The Parking Lot has a sign and will be on the Right after the "Redwood Center"
Fee- None, free parking
Weather - Usually no fog, can get hot in the summer sun.
Other Trails - there are other trails within this park. Trail info available at the Parking Lot.