Sweeney Ridge Trail via Sneath Lane is a 7.7 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near San Bruno, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
mountain biking
nature trips
walking
bird watching
running
partially paved
views
wild flowers
wildlife
no shade
Explores the wonders of Sweeny Ridge. The Ridge trail offers excellent views of the Pacific Ocean and the San Andreas Reservoir. Of the three different approaches to Sweeney Ridge, the gently ascending paved trail from Sneath Lane is the most forgiving. You may have to share the trail with an occasional cyclist, but you'll appreciated the views over the eastern side of the peninsula as you climb including the long expanse of San Andreas Lake. On top of Sweeney Ridge, you can decide whether to hike north for just under a mile to the Nike missile base, or to take a short walk to the Portola discovery site. The trailhead is located at the end of Sneath Lane which is accessed directly from Skyline Boulevard.
First mike is paved road— not a fan. Went up to the Portola marker which gives this trail that lovely historical touch... a bonus
Great hike on a foggy and partially sunny day. No shade along the trail, nice views of the bay, and plenty of wild life :) my pup was tired at the end.
Great if you stay on the main trail! Tried to go back to the parking lot on a trail shown on the AllTrails map. It was very overgrown, steep, and slippery. Fell and stuck my hand in a very thorny bush. Ouch!
Really nice hike! But I have 1 word ...... BUGZ!! Swarming around our heads the whole time. It was a bit annoying. But we still had a great time!
The nike missile silo has been completely razed.
I like that you get the uphill part out of the way first thing by starting from Shell Dance. Also that you get both an urban and ocean view walking the ridge. Not a fan of the slippery scree a on the down parts. This is a great workout for trail running.
Graffiti wall is destroyed.
Nice and easy walk. Paved with asphalt that you want extra cushion in your shoes if you have any joint issues. It’s nice to check out the nearby Pacifica beach after the walk.
Sweeney Ridge. An easy to moderate trail with few patches of elevation gain. mostly foggy mornings. Not enough sun shade cover but makes up for the views across ocean and bay. although paved road is good for cycles and leaves "trail" features to be desired.
Sandra C recorded Recording - Jul 14, 12:17 PM
it was paved most of the way, steep uphill initially. foggy and windy almost the entire time. good walk though
Windy. some concrete asfault path. bathroom at turnaround point next to orchid.
the first part of the hike is a 550 climb up. it's pretty gradual except for a patch which was no joke up. the ridge to the left was muddy and puddly so we went right to the nike missile site. i prefer to get to this ridge via the notch trail from skyline college but i had my dog so had to go this route. views are beautiful but i don't know if I'll rush back.
No shades. Whole trail took me 3.5 hours. View is really good tho.
mostly uphill climb but great views
Good steady elevation . Very cloudy at the top and windy , dress in layers .
Great view, fresh air & decent work out on a gentle paved incline. I feel secluded & safe.
Great views of both the San Bruno and Pacifica sides of the ridge; can get very windy and cold up top. I prefer going down the Baquiano and Farallones View trails but both sides of the ridge are great.
Great scenery with views of the bay and the ocean. Loved the change in terrain with evergreens, grassy fields, and beautiful wildflowers.
Fantastic views at each cardinal direction: the largest cache in the Hetch Hetchy water system to the South, the point where the San Andreas Fault goes offshore to the West (Mori), the hills of San Francisco to the North and the perpetual weaving of international flight patterning into surface flows to the East (SFO).
First time I did this hike, probably 8-10 yrs ago, when I reached the summit I remember thinking "this is an awesome view but I never need to make that steep climb again." Fast forward and now I'm ready to return, looking forward to seeing if much has changed. Great work out, great exploring at the top.
good for running, cycling and hiking. I spent a half day hiking and found it challenging enough in parts to slow some people down as it's very steep and mostly exposed. The Moni Point hike up to Sweeney Ridge (opposite direction to Sneath Trail) is the longest, steepest part (but does have trees and some shade); easier if you end walking down that part! we had a Lyft pick us up, otherwise you need to hike back to your starting point as there's no loop trail. fascinating history. good idea to read up before going. lots of wildlife and even some color in winter, like small flowers/shrubs blooming. if you're quiet, you will see much more small wildlife! red tailed eagles gliding. absolutely necessary to bring snacks and water as you don't have access to much shade, water or toilet (there's 1 but not clean). (I'm a just in case person!) even on sunny, warm days, it can get suddenly windy and cold, so bring an extra layer, unless you intend to run or walk a shorter track than fully east to west coast.
Jazz C.
If you are a runner, this trail is challenging! Steep inclines, Half paved / half trail so if you're more of a trail runner make sure you're wearing trail running shoes! I had to slow down a lot when I hit the dirt since I was wearing road shoes. Mostly open and unshaded so bring sunglasses or a hat if its a clear day. The fog rolls in from the Pacifica side so also layer up! Cool views of the bay! Great workout if you're training for a hilly race! Please keep in mind the one restroom on the trail is unkept and really gross which was very disappointing because it forced me to end my run early.
Exposed but scenic views at the top
amazing views
All paved (for better or worse), nice views, good work out. Unfortunately, lots of air traffic noise pollution (right by the airport).
Scenery: 2 Views: 4 Difficulty: 3.5 Crowds: 3 Shade: 1 My 1-5 Rating Scale Comparisons for above: 5 for Scenery; Mcway Falls Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP 4.5 for Scenery: Berry Creek Falls Big Basin State Park 4 for Scenery: Steep Ravine Trail 5 for Views: Nimitz Trail Tilden Park 5 for Views: Ridge Trail San Bruno Mtn Park 4.5 for Views Montara Mtn Summit San Pedro County Park 4 for Views Rancho Canada Del Oro Bald Peaks trail 5 for Difficulty: Junipero Serra Peak 4 for Difficulty: Mount El Sombroso Loop Trail
Love the views of the hills & Bay Area. The hills give you a great workout. Interesting to see the Nike Missle site and learning about the history. I'd definitely do this again and hopefully keep hiking down to the Farallones Trail. Love the smells of the nearby plants and eucalyptus trees.
Decent workout, gorgeous views of bay area and pacifico
challenging and worth the effort. we went up the paved way and my 7 year old made it up with me. once you get up to the top the old Nike missle post and buildings are great to look at and take pictures of. the view of course is a awesome.
