Bay Area Ridge Trail Progress

It was over 30 years ago that William Penn Mott, Jr. conceived the idea for a ridge-top trail encircling the Bay and linking over 75 local parks and open space districts. Today, the Bay Area Ridge Trail is well on its way, with 230 of its 400 designated miles completed. Most of the trail that crosses parks and public lands is finished and accessible to the public. Now, the focus is on private lands, many of them in the North Bay. Bay Area Ridge Trail Council Executive Director Clifford Janoff estimates that arrangements will have to be made with over 110 private landowners in order to complete the trail. One way to support the Trail’s continued development is to attend the Baywood Artists Exhibit of landscape art on Friday, October 11 through Sunday, October 13 at the Officer’s Club in the Presidio in San Francisco. Baywood Artists is a small group of artists dedicated to helping preserve Bay Area open space; they will donate 50 percent of the proceeds from sales to the Council. For more information on the exhibit or on the Ridge Trail, call (415)391-9300 or visit the Ridge Trail Council’s website at www.ridgetrail.org.