Milagra Ridge Trailhead

Ranger giving a talk at Milagra Ridge.

Kirke Wrench

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Restroom, Trailhead

The Milagra Ridge trail is an easy 1.5 mile loop you can complete in under an hour. The trail, which can be accessed from the entrance off Sharp Park Road or from the parking area at the end of Connemara Drive in Pacifica, will take you through lovely scrub habitat with impressive ocean views.

Restoration of Milagra Ridge

Since this site became part of the GGNRA in 1987, the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy have transformed this site by working with volunteers to remove invasive plants such as jubata grass and various species of brooms.

Home to endangered species

Restorative work has created more space for endangered San Bruno elfin butterflies, endangered mission blue butterflies and threatened California red-legged frogs, all of which inhabit different areas of this 240 acre site.

A Special Place to Many

Milagra Ridge is a special place to many people and it's been that way for a long time. Like a lot of places in the region, this awesome area has been home to many cultural groups, beginning with the Ohlone who inhabited the area for thousands of years.

Spanish colonial forces came on the scene in the 1700s, adding a new cultural layer to the landscape. After the Mexican Revolution in 1821, Mexican citizens began using the land for ranching. In 1846, the US went to war with Mexico, leading to the Bear Flag Revolt, an event that resulted in the declaration of an independent California Republic for a brief time before the territory was incorporated into the US.

During World War II, the US Army built a gun battery at Milagra to protect the coast from enemy invasion. In 1953, a Nike missile launch site was installed during the Cold War. By 1987, Milagra Ridge had a chance to mellow out, and became part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.