Irish Ridge Trail

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There are no services or restrooms out in this part of the preserve, so you need to make sure that you bring enough food and water for your hike. This trail is not as shaded as some of the others in the preserve so it is good to have sunscreen or a hat to help cope with the sunlight. Make sure you have enough energy to hike back up Irish Ridge as it is the only way out of this part of the preserve.

This old dirt road is free of rocks and roots, making it a good trail to run on if you are interested in running down and up hills.

Irish Ridge Trail starts at the end of the Bald Knob Trail and drops down the Ridge Line immediately. The trail drops steeply along an old dirt farm road, providing a nice wide trail to run on. After descending roughly a quarter of a mile, the woods open up on the right hand side of the trail, and you get great views of the Pacific Ocean and the hills below the preserve.

This is a great view of the ocean, and the best views along the trail in terms of how much you can see from this point. After enjoying the view, the trail continues to descend deeper into the preserve as the trail follow the old road. In the winter, keep an eye out for banana slugs that can be seen in the trail and along side it. Mushrooms also can be seen growing along the trail.

The trail levels out and rolls slightly from the half mile point to about a mile, when the trail starts to descend steeply again. The trail meets up with the Lobitos Creek Trail, which breaks off to the right, at just after one mile. The road continues to descend to the preserve boundary where a sign warns you that if you continue, you are on private property. At this point, you need to retrace your steps to get back to where you started.

You'll see a variety of birds throughout the hike in the woods surrounding the trail. Squirrels are common as well. You may encounter deer, turkeys, bobcats, and other animals common in the area (or at least evidence of them along the trail). In the winter, you'll see banana slugs along the trail and in the trail, so watch your step. As you get closer to Lobitos Creek Trail, you'll start to encounter larger Redwood trees.