Lucky as a Horseshoe

Hike to Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve gets adventurers young and old up close to some of the Bay Area’s best winged wildlife along its namesake shoreline via a 3.5-mile (round-trip) hike that’s easy and tranquil.

From the main Skyline Ridge parking lot, follow the Ridge Trail until it intersects a dirt road, then bear left onto the Horseshoe Loop Trail. This route takes you up over Horseshoe Lake, rewarding you with a bird’s-eye view of the water below. A secluded picnic area a quarter mile along the trail is an idyllic spot for lunch.

The loop continues onto Tree Farm Trail and Fir Knoll Trail for a quick jaunt into the forest for a 1-mile (total) detour lined with fir and hemlock that release a festive holiday aroma as you crunch through the fallen needles. (For even more holiday cheer, the neighboring Christmas tree farm is visible through the forest.)

As you return to Horseshoe Lake, be on the lookout for local wildlife. Home to coots, ducks, quails, and heron, this is one of the best bird-watching sites in the area. To complete the loop, hikers can follow the Ridge Trail to return to the parking lot. For those craving a little more adventure, turn onto Sunny Jim Trail, and bear right onto Ipiwa Trail. This hilly route is a great physical challenge, and is home to California fuchsia, a crimson late-season wildflower. Enjoy a gorgeous panorama of the surrounding Los Gatos Mountains before returning to the parking lot.

The preserve’s entrance is located on Skyline Blvd., about 1 mile south of the intersection of Page Mill Rd. / Alpine Rd. and Skyline Blvd. (Hwy. 35). Dogs are not permitted in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. Trails are open a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. No dogs.

Story and photos by Poe Casavant

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Taking the Stage: Tyler Ranch

    Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.

    View
  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. On clear days you get views of both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S. 

    View
  3. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

    View
  4. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Lava Lava

    Once a land of volcanic activity, Mojave National Preserve shares plenty about its past via a quick yet adventurous hike to the Lava Tube in the Cima Dome Volcanic Field.

    View
  2. Kelso Dunes

    The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.

    View
  3. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

    View
  4. Beaudry Bountiful

    There are no cars allowed on Beaudry Loop, but this 6-mile hike takes you on a wild ride. You’ll be climbing 1,500 feet up the southern Verdugos along a chaparral-lined trail with gorgeous mountain and urban vistas every step of the way.

    View