Mulholland Ridge Open Space is a gorgeous natural space that offers plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails for people to explore. This article will give you an overview of the park and introduce you to some of its most notable features.

About Mulholland Ridge Open Space

Mulholland Ridge is a 250-acre open space on the boundary of Orinda and Moraga that’s typically accessed near Rheem Shopping Center. The old roadbed (Donald Drive) has been closed off and grown wild.

This open space is fairly well known in Moraga, but somewhat undiscovered by those living around the area such as Lafayette and Orinda. The trail offers incredible views for everyone to enjoy and it’s especially popular with dog walkers because they can take their furry friends on this nature-filled path that doesn’t get too crowded or muddy when rainfall occurs during certain times of the year or other times. It will be perfect if you come by yourself as well.

Amenities

Dogs

The Mulholland Ridge Open Space is a beautiful, paved hiking trail that allows dogs off-leash. However, they must be leashed when walking on the unpaved portions and remain under their owner’s control at all times.

Bird Inventory

Mulholland Ridge Open Space is a great place for bird watching. A recent bird inventory found that there are over 77 species of birds in the area, including several rare and endangered species. Some of the most common birds in the area include American robins, California towhees, and house finches. The park is thought to be one of the best places in California to see red-tailed hawks. Visitors should keep an eye out for these predators perched on tree branches or soaring overhead.

Trailhead

The trail head is at the Hacienda De Las Flores parking lot. From there, follow signs for Cindy Waxman Trail which will lead you up behind the main building and into an exit gate when it reaches the top of the hill,  turn left after exiting onto Donald Drive until reaching another entranceway. Or if you drive to the gate of Donald Dr you’ll be there.

Goodfellow Trail

This hike is typically done as an out and back, but if you want to make it into a loop then include the Goodfellow Trail that branches off from fire roads. If going in this direction stay left at all intersections until reaching another junction where go right for one more quarter-mile before ending up back where you started.

Cautions And Considerations

The best time to visit this park is during the warmer months when you can enjoy walking or running on its trails without being too cold. Portions of it require leashes, so make sure your dog knows about those signals before going. There’s no information available for how much elevation gain there will be from one point-so except some stretching muscles after coming back down again if that matters.

How To Get There

From the Rheem Shopping Center, go South on Moraga Road and take a right at Donald Drive. If Hacienda De Las Flores is open you can park there to start from or continue following this road until its end where there will be plenty of spaces for parking to access some trails much more conveniently than if one were trying them out without any guidance about how best navigate these hiking areas.

Whether you’re a resident of the area or just visiting, Mulholland Ridge Open Space is a great place to get away from it all. With its trails and lots of beautiful scenery, there’s something for everyone here. If you find yourself out this way with your dog in tow, keep them on the leash as they are not allowed off-leash unless otherwise posted. We hope we’ve helped make navigating the space a little easier for those unfamiliar with our local terrain. Call us today if you have any questions about exploring Mulholland Ridge Open Space.