The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is creating the Bay Area Ridge Trail, more than 550 miles of multi-use trail on the ridgetops surrounding San Francisco Bay.

Description:
The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, a coalition of volunteers and agencies, plans, promotes, builds, acquires, and maintains the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a more than 550+ mile multi-use trail that, when complete, will connect over 75 parks and open spaces on the ridgetops surrounding San Francisco Bay. Recognizing the growing recreational needs of the Bay Area's diverse populations, along with the desire of individuals to connect with their communities and the outdoor environment, the Council creates links between parks, people, and communities.

History:
Thirty years ago, conservationist William Penn Mott, Jr., envisioned a single trail circling the ridgeline above San Francisco Bay. He imagined a trail on which residents and visitors alike could reconnect with their natural surroundings and rejuvenate their spirits. When completed, this ridgeline trail would connect open spaces in the nine Bay Area counties, offering 550+ miles of continuous trail for use by hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists. The completion of this ridgeline trail would create a legacy of protected open spaces as natural habitats and for public recreation.

In 1987, Mott urged the Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Brian O'Neill, to consider how to move forward with his vision. Through the leadership of the GGNRA and the Greenbelt Alliance meetings were held to determine how to establish a regional ridgeline trail. These meetings brought together representatives of public land management agencies and volunteers from each of the nine counties which would later form the basis of the Council's governing structure.

In late 1988 the first project director, Barbara Rice, was hired and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council was formed. In 1990, the Council became an independent non-profit organization, governed by a board of directors comprised equally of public agency representatives, County Committee representatives, and members at large. Funding for the organization came from the National Park Service as well as foundations, corporations, and a membership program.
From its earliest tasks ( establishing trail location criteria and signage and multi-use policies, among others) the Council coordinated trail planning, encouraged public agencies and governments to dedicate sections of the Trail, and developed strategies for closing gaps in the trail. A route plan identifies the 500-mile route following the closest ridgeline to the Bay, linked to Bay Area communities and the San Francisco Bay Trail by way of community connector trails. The Ridge Trail will be the spine of a larger trail system, providing continuity and connectivity for trail users and promoting use of the trail by nearby residents.

Contact person: Joel Gartland, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (415) 561-2599

Address:

1007 General Kennedy Ave., Suite 3 San Francisco, CA 94129 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.ridgetrail.org

Directions:

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council office is in the Thoreau Center in the Presidio of San Francisco. Volunteer opportunities are around the Bay Area. If you'd like to visit the office, please call first to be sure someone will be there and to get directions (it's very easy to get lost in the Presidio).   Nearest Bus Stop: 43 Masonic (Thoreau Center), 1 minute walk