Federal Study Proposed to Elevate 550-Mile Bay Area Ridge Trail to National Scenic Status

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to launch a formal feasibility study to determine if the Bay Area Ridge Trail should join the ranks of the country’s most prestigious routes as a National Scenic Trail. Currently, the trail is a massive 550-mile loop—with about 415 miles already on the ground—that circles the ridgelines of the San Francisco Bay. The legislation requires the Department of the Interior to consult with the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and every federal and state agency that manages the land the trail touches. This isn't a decades-long bureaucratic black hole; the bill mandates that the completed study be handed to Congress within exactly one year of the law being enacted.

Putting the 'National' in Scenic

Becoming a National Scenic Trail is like a local athlete making the Olympic team. Right now, the Ridge Trail is a patchwork of over 75 different parks and open spaces. Section 1 of the bill highlights that while the trail is already a hit with locals, it connects nationally significant spots like the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the San Andreas fault. For a weekend hiker or a mountain biker, this designation could eventually mean more consistent signage, better-maintained paths, and federal resources to help close the remaining 140-mile gap in the loop. It’s about taking a regional treasure and giving it the federal stamp of approval that helps preserve diverse environments ranging from redwood forests to coastal marshes.

The One-Year Clock

Section 2 of the bill sets a tight deadline, requiring the feasibility study to be wrapped up in 12 months. This study is the essential first step before the trail can officially be designated by an Act of Congress. For small business owners in trail towns or local tour guides, this study is the 'green light' phase that analyzes how the trail impacts the surrounding economy and environment. Because the bill requires coordination with every agency involved—from state park rangers to federal land managers—it aims to ensure that the transition to a National Scenic Trail doesn't create a regulatory mess for the people who live and work near these ridgelines.