The western face of the ridge is part of EBMUD's San Leandro Creek Watershed and permits are required to enter.

The roughly 50 square miles of watershed land on the ridge's western side is largely undeveloped and rugged.

As a result of its steepness and prominence, Rocky Ridge has an extensive viewshed that includes the city of San Francisco, the Golden Gate, Mount Tamalpais and San Mateo, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties, as well as Mount Diablo and its environs.

[10] Cattle grazing in the area since the 1800s has severely altered the plant communities on the ridge and facilitated the establishment of invasive and exotic species.

[11] Along the crest of the ridge, where it is much wetter than lower elevations due to frequent fogs from the Pacific Ocean, a microhabitat exists in which moss-covered California Bay and oaks can be found growing amongst multiple species of ferns and woodland strawberry.

Due to its relative high elevation and very steep slopes, moisture from fog is easily trapped by the ridge, allowing plants accustomed to wetter habitats to survive.

[10] Hikers on the ridge should be wary of letting small dogs off leash in the early morning or evening due to the presence of coyotes.