Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Most preserves along Skyline Boulevard reward a climb. Skyline Ridge rewards a stroll. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, describes 2,143 acres of ridge vistas, wide meadows, a pond for nature study and a quiet lake that draws migrating birds. Two of its loops are built for wheelchairs and strollers. It also has the David C. Daniels Nature Center, which Midpen calls its only interpretive facility.

That mix makes it the easiest Skyline preserve for young children and for anyone who wants water views without a long hike. This guide covers both ponds, the nature center's season, parking, the rules and the ranch history behind the landscape.

Getting there and parking

From Palo Alto, drive Page Mill Road west to Skyline Boulevard, Highway 35. That takes roughly 30 to 35 minutes from downtown with no transit option. There are two ways in, depending on where you want to start.

• Main entrance: the Skyline Ridge Circle Parking Area and Equestrian Parking Area share 100 spaces. Midpen puts the entrance about one mile south of the Skyline and Page Mill/Alpine intersection. There is ample room for horse trailers. This is the start for Horseshoe Lake and the longer trails.
• Alpine Pond and the nature center: park in the 37-space Russian Ridge Parking Area at the northwest corner of the intersection. Walk through the pedestrian tunnel under Alpine Road and follow the path to the pond.
• Accessible parking: a 5-space accessible lot sits at the Horseshoe Loop trailhead. In late October 2026 Midpen listed it as closed for construction.

Midpen warns that parking at the Russian Ridge lot can be limited at peak times in spring. On a busy weekend the larger main lot is the safer choice.

Horseshoe Lake

Horseshoe Lake is the quieter of the two waters. Midpen describes the Horseshoe Loop as an easy trail with a gentle grade, paved sections, benches, some shade and good views. It is suitable for users of all skill levels and designed for wheelchair and stroller access. The overlook has two picnic tables under oaks.

Midpen spent years restoring the land around the lake. Its Skyline Ridge Tree Farm Restoration Project, carried out from 2003 to 2010 with volunteers and the California Conservation Corps, turned 13 acres of old Christmas tree plantings back into native habitat. Crews regraded parts of the site, spread native grass and wildflower seed gathered at Russian Ridge and planted hundreds of acorns along with toyon, madrone, coffeeberry and sticky monkeyflower. Midpen worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to improve habitat for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake. The goal was to keep the lake a healthy water source for wildlife.

Alpine Pond and the Daniels Nature Center

Alpine Pond sits at the north end of the preserve beside Alpine Road. A short loop of about half a mile circles it on an easy-access path. Midpen invites visitors to peer into the shallow water for pond creatures. Two sunny picnic tables sit beside the water.

The nature center

The Daniels Nature Center opened in 1996 overlooking the pond. Peninsula Open Space Trust and the family of Judy and David C. Daniels Sr. helped fund it in memory of their son David. Inside you will find larger-than-life pond creatures, a mural of pond food chains, a live rescued gopher snake and wildlife skulls and pelts to touch. Midpen's docents staff it.

As of October 30, 2026 the center is in its short fall season, with a few weekends left before it closes for winter. Picnic tables, restrooms, a drinking faucet and bike parking are available year-round. Midpen counted nearly 2,500 visitors between April and the end of October in 2025.

What to look for

Midpen's pond webcam list includes western pond turtles, ring-necked ducks, mallards, double-crested cormorants, great egrets, great blue herons, bats and ospreys. Its staff have also logged barn swallows, acorn woodpeckers, American coots, Anna's hummingbirds, red-winged blackbirds and dark-eyed juncos around the pond, with dragonflies and damselflies in summer. Our birdwatching guide has more places for pond birds.

Other trails and self-guided tours

Midpen offers two free self-guided multimedia tours, which work like museum audio tours on your phone:

1. Alpine Pond Tour: a short family walk around the pond. Midpen offers it in Spanish and Mandarin in limited formats.
2. Skyline Ridge Habitat Tour: a walk of almost 2 miles through four habitat types, written for a general audience.

For a longer hike, the Ipiwa Trail is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Midpen says it looks out over the Lambert Creek watershed, Butano Ridge and Portola Redwoods State Park. The Ridge Trail continues south toward Long Ridge and north into Russian Ridge. Midpen does not publish total distances for these routes on its preserve page; its downloadable map shows mileage between junctions.

The Christmas tree farm

Midpen's history page says the Wasserman family started a Christmas tree farm here that still exists in the preserve. Its restoration project page adds that the Skyline Tree Farm, a family-owned business that began in 1958, operates on 63 acres under a lease with Midpen. Visitors heading to cut a tree pass Horseshoe Lake on the way. We could not confirm the farm's 2026 season, days or prices, so check with the farm directly before you go. Our holiday season guide covers other seasonal outings.

Rules for dogs, bikes and horses

• Dogs: not allowed. Service dogs are accommodated.
• Bikes: designated trails only, marked on the map. Helmets are required. The speed limit is 15 mph, or 5 mph when passing. E-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails. Some sections close seasonally to bikes and horses, according to the map.
• Horses: designated trails only, with helmets recommended. The main lot has trailer parking.
• Water: no swimming, wading or other water contact in the ponds.
• Other rules: no drones or model aircraft, no fires, no smoking and no weapons. There are no trash cans, so pack out everything.

Seasonal notes

Spring brings wildflowers on the slopes and the busiest parking at the shared Russian Ridge lot. Summer is the time for dragonflies at the ponds. Fall has clear air and the last weekends of the nature center. In winter the center is closed but the paths stay open. Midpen's calendar for Skyline Ridge includes a Scenic Aerobic Hike on November 11, a Giving Thanks walk on November 14 and Trail Trek Thursday on December 3, 2026, plus a Counting Caterpillars outing on February 6, 2027. Our nature programs guide lists more for kids.

Safety

Midpen's standard safety advice applies here. Bring water and dress in layers for wind and fog. Cell service is sporadic. Mountain lions are a natural part of the region and occasionally seen; if you meet one, do not run, keep children close, face it and make yourself look big. Ticks are present and may carry disease, so stay in the middle of the trail and check yourself afterward. Poison oak grows on most preserves and its stems carry the irritating oil even in winter. Rattlesnakes are active in warm weather.

From hog ranch to preserve

Much of the land once belonged to James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr., mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1931 and then governor until his death in 1934. Later the northern part was owned by John Rickey of Rickey's Hyatt House in Palo Alto, who ran a thousand-head hog ranch. Alpine Pond and Horseshoe Lake were dug in the 1950s to water the ranch and its crops. The Wasserman family then raised cattle and horses and started the tree farm. Midpen bought the land in 1982, with development funding from the California Park and Recreation Facilities Act of 1984 and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Our hiking guide compares Skyline Ridge with other trails near town.

Frequently asked questions