Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve
Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve, home of the Mulholland Ridge Trail, is a 250-acre open space area located along Donald Drive on the boundary of Orinda and Moraga. If you are looking for scenic views of the valley area and Diablo Hills, this is the pawfect hike for you!
The park is open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset every day. The park and trail rules state that dogs may be off-leash on the paved trail as long as they respond well to voice commands.
When you are ready to tackle the approximately 1-mile long paved trail, you can get there through the park starting at the Hacienda parking lot and walking up the off-leash paved trail. From this area, you can explore the side trails and meander back downhill to your car.
Along the trail, you can find grazing cattle on one side of the preserve. If you prefer avoiding them, there are no cattle on the water tower side. Regardless of which way you choose to enter the trail, you will find breathtaking views of the Moraga Valley and the Diablo Range. While the elevation incline is unknown, it is considered a relatively easy hike. The ridge is high, though, so keep your pup near you or on a leash if you are concerned that they may wander off too close to the edge.
The Mulholland Ridge Trail and Park has garbage cans and running water near the water tower, as well as restrooms available at the nearby Hacienda de las Flores Park. The restrooms are in the main building, though, so they are only available when that building is open.
To get to the trail, you can start from the Hacienda parking lot and follow trail signs leading up the hill behind the main building. There is a gate at the top of the Hacienda trail. Exit at this gate and turn left on Donald Drive, then head past the gate that is the entrance to the top section. The roadway up the hill that you need to take is mostly paved and takes you about a half-mile to the Mulholland water tower, where you can enter the trail. It will take you out the same way.
