Horseshoe Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Lake · Views

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve is open daily from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

Horsehoe Loop serves as an easy connector from a nearby parking area and links the Tree Farm Trail to the Lambert Creek Trail.

The flora found on this trail are typical of the oak chaparral of the Bay Area. Trees include Douglas Fir, oak, California Bay, Madrone, and more. In the early fall the leaves of the buckeyes, the Western Sycamores, and the Big Leaf Maples begin to turn yellow and are quite beautiful along this trail. The shrubs are a mix of Coyote Brush and Arroyo Willow, with poison oak and blackberry interspersed. In the spring and summer, wildflowers are common, such as the orange California Poppy. Be very cautious about poison oak. It is plentiful in the bushes surrounding this trail. Never go off trail or touch a plant you do not recognize.

Fauna include birds (Scrub and Stellar's Jays, hawks, juncos, chickadees, ducks, coots, etc.) as well as Western Fence lizards, Black-Tailed Deer, squirrels, and more. Mountain Lions are sometimes found on this trail, so be cautious, and don't hike alone.