Name: By special permit: Cahill Ridge reservoirs in San Mateo County, 8.5m, 700'⬆️
Start: 2024-11-17T09:00:00-08:00
End: 2024-11-17T13:00:00-08:00

We're leaving the friendly confines of Marin for an off-limits (except by special permit) hike in the Cahill Ridge watershed of San Mateo County on this easy eight-miler led by a docent from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

The area in question is along the top of those deeply-forested hills you see off to the right if you're heading south on 280 past SFO. I did this hike in August, and despite the fact that it's rather gentle (and definitely a bit slow) by this group's standards, it's a unique look at a part of the Bay Area that most people will never see. This fire-road hike is only open to the public when a SFPUC docent leads it, and numbers are very limited. I grabbed eight spots for Nov. 17th, and we'll be joined by perhaps 10 others who have signed up separately.

Here's SFPUC's description of the event:

"Join us for a hike on Cahill Ridge! Starting at Cemetery gate, the hike begins on the ridge top in a mixed hardwood forest. In awe-inspiring majesty, Douglas firs tower over the trail. Let your mind wander as we stroll out to the Five Points rest stop, the midway point of the Ridge Trail. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for special peek at Pilarcitos Reservoir, the oldest reservoir in the watershed."

Our group will meet everyone else at the entrance to Skylawn Cemetery, and then the cars will caravan for about five minutes to the spot where the hike begins. We'll hike out and back on the Cahill Ridge Fire Road, return to our cars, and then caravan back to the cemetery entrance.

**Directions**: Meet at the turnout on the north side of the intersection of CA Highway 92 and CA Highway 35, just before the entrance to Skylawn Cemetery. The turnout is on the right side of westbound CA Highway 92 approximately 1.7 miles after you have passed over Crystal Springs Reservoir. Once the group has arrived, we will caravan north through the Cemetery for about two miles, to the Cemetery Gate trailhead. You can click on the map link on this page to open your driving app, or here’s a link in Google maps for directions to the meeting location: https://goo.gl/maps/xRbpsKaMfvpGJgr19

**Hike stats:** 8.5 miles round trip, with about 700 feet of elevation gain. There are two restrooms along the route, but no water sources. The fire road is mostly gentle rolling hills, with one or two somewhat steeper climbs. I've listed 1 pm as the finish time, although that's approximate, depending on the overall group. We finished at about 12:30 when I did this hike in August.

Hiking in Marin: Mountains, Meadows, Marshes and Mist

Travel & Outdoor

Outdoors

Fun Times

Fitness

Hiking

Outdoor Fitness

Adventure

Outdoor Adventures

Backpacking

Exercise

By special permit: Cahill Ridge reservoirs in San Mateo County, 8.5m, 700'⬆️

This content is available only to members

Share this event

By special permit: Cahill Ridge reservoirs in San Mateo County, 8.5m, 700'⬆️

Details