Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

Last updated

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is a non-enterprise special district in the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 1972 by voter initiative, it has acquired and preserved a regional green belt of open space land and provides opportunities for ecologically-sensitive public enjoyment and education. [1]

Contents

The district, which includes parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, [2] works to form a continuous green belt of permanently preserved open space by linking its lands with other public park lands. A member of the Bay Area Open Space Council, [3] the district also participates in cooperative efforts such as the San Francisco Bay Trail, Bay Area Ridge Trail, and Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, which are regional trail systems in the Bay Area that include district lands.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has permanently preserved almost 63,500 acres (25,700 ha) of mountainous, foothill, and bayland open space, creating 26 open space preserves.[ citation needed ] Of the district's 26 preserves, 24 are open to the public free of charge, 365 days a year from dawn until one-half hour after sunset.

The district's tax and voter base consists of about 550 square miles (1,400 km2) and 741,000 people, mostly in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. District revenues for fiscal year 2012-2013 were $33 million, with $30.3 million coming directly from a portion of property taxes. The district also occasionally receives state and federal grants, as well as private donations.[ citation needed ]

Its stated mission is:

To acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity; protect and restore the natural environment; and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. [4]

Recreation

Most of the preserves are open to recreation. Popular activities are hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. Paragliding and hang gliding are permitted at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve with a special use permit. Camping is generally prohibited, though the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve does have a backpacking camp available by permit only. [5] Of the 26 preserves, 24 are fully open to the public: Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve and Tunitas Creek Open Space Preserve are not open; [6] the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve and La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve require a permit for use, and portions of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve are closed to the public due to hazardous areas at the summit of Mount Umunhum.

In total, the district has 226 mi (364 km) of hiking trails, of which 150 mi (241 km) is open to bicycles, 182 mi (293 km) to equestrians, and 63 mi (101 km) to leashed dogs.[ citation needed ] Preserves are relatively undeveloped, with most having only a parking area, trail signs, and possibly an outhouse. All preserves are open from dawn to one-half hour after sunset.

Park rangers patrol the district and provide a range of services. Ranger staff are peace officers but do not carry firearms. They wear tan and green uniforms; the badge is a gold metal seven-point star with an enameled California state seal in the center. Dispatch services are provided by the Mountain View Police Department under contract. [ citation needed ]

Open space preserves

The following open space preserves are managed by MROSD: [7] [6]

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserves [8]
NameAcquiredAreaTrailsNotesAccessRefs.
Bear Creek Redwoods 19991,440 acres (580 ha)6 mi (9.7 km)3 mi (4.8 km) S of Los Gatos; SR 17 to Bear Creek Road [9]
Cloverdale Ranch 2023 ?1 mi (1.6 km) SR 1, near Pigeon Point Lighthouse [10]
Coal Creek  ?500 acres (200 ha)3.7 mi (6.0 km) Skyline Blvd, approximately 1.2 mi (1.9 km) north of Page Mill Rd and 6 mi (9.7 km) south of SR 84 [11]
El Corte de Madera Creek 19882,908 acres (1,177 ha)34.8 mi (56.0 km)see also El Corte de Madera Creek (waterway)parking lots off Skyline Blvd, approximately 2.7 and 4 mi (4.3 and 6.4 km) north of SR 84 [12]
El Sereno 19751,614 acres (653 ha)6.9 mi (11.1 km)Named for 2,500 ft (760 m) Mount El Sereno3 mi (4.8 km) west of SR 17 at Bear Creek Road / Montevina Road exit [13]
Foothills 1972212 acres (86 ha)0.3 mi (0.48 km) Page Mill Road, 3.5 mi (5.6 km) southwest of I-280 [14]
Fremont Older 1975739 acres (299 ha)14.7 mi (23.7 km)named for Fremont Older exit SR 85 at De Anza, then take Prospect Road to parking space [15]
La Honda Creek Nov 2017 ?10.6 mi (17.1 km)divided into Upper and Lower areas; Upper La Honda Creek requires no-fee permit(Lower) via Sears Ranch Road, off SR 84 [16] [17]
Long Ridge 1985 ?14.1 mi (22.7 km)southern edge borders Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail parking lots west of Skyline Blvd, approximately 3.6 mi (5.8 km) north of SR 9 and 3.3 mi (5.3 km) south of Page Mill Road [18]
Los Trancos 1976274 acres (111 ha)6 mi (9.7 km) Page Mill Road, 7 mi (11 km) west of I-280 and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) east of Skyline Blvd [19]
Miramontes Ridge  ? ? ?closed to public; adjacent to Burleigh H. Murray Ranch; 644 acres (261 ha) Johnston Ranch parcel added in 2024— [20]
Monte Bello  ?3,436 acres (1,390 ha)15.5 mi (24.9 km) Page Mill Road, 7 mi (11 km) W of I-280 and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) E of Skyline, adjacent to Los Trancos. [21]
Picchetti Ranch 1976308 acres (125 ha)3.7 mi (6.0 km) Picchetti Winery operates on the edge of the preserveFrom I-280, take Foothill Expy exit and travel 3.5 mi (5.6 km) southwest to Montebello Rd, continue 0.5 mi (0.80 km) on Montebello to preserve. [22]
Pulgas Ridge  ? ?6.2 mi (10.0 km)
Purisima Creek  ? ?22.8 mi (36.7 km)
Rancho San Antonio  ? ?26 mi (42 km)
Ravenswood 1981376 acres (152 ha)2.1 mi (3.4 km)Opened to public in 1989
Russian Ridge  ?3,491 acres (1,413 ha)13.1 mi (21.1 km)Contains highest named point in San Mateo County: Borel Hill, 2,572 ft (784 m)
St. Joseph's Hill  ?273 acres (110 ha)4.2 mi (6.8 km)
Saratoga Gap  ?1,600 acres (650 ha)1.4 mi (2.3 km)
Sierra Azul  ?19,000 acres (7,700 ha)25.8 mi (41.5 km)
Skyline Ridge  ?2,144 acres (868 ha)12.4 mi (20.0 km)
Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Area  ? ?0.7 mi (1.1 km)
Teague Hill  ? ?0.2 mi (0.32 km)
Thornewood  ?167 acres (68 ha)1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Tunitas Creek  ? ? ?
Windy Hill  ?1,414 acres (572 ha)13.6 mi (21.9 km)

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bay Regional Park District</span> Special district in California, US

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which is the largest urban regional park district in the United States. The administrative office is located in Oakland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Umunhum</span> Mountain in California, United States

Mount Umunhum is a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, located in Santa Clara County, California. It is the fourth-highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, after Loma Prieta, Crystal Peak, and Mount Chual. Most of the mountain is located within the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 35</span> Highway in California

State Route 35, generally known as Skyline Boulevard for most of its length, is a mostly two-lane state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs along the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains from the high point of State Route 17 near Lexington Reservoir in Santa Clara County to State Route 1 just south of Daly City in San Mateo County, where it crosses SR 1 and loops around Lake Merced to become Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. SR 35 then continues along Sloat Boulevard until it reaches its terminus when it meets SR 1 again at 19th Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevens Creek Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

Stevens Creek Reservoir is an artificial lake located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, California. A 1,063-acre (430 ha) county park surrounds the reservoir and provides limited fishing, picnicking, hiking, and horseback riding activities. Although swimming is not allowed, non-power boating is allowed for certain parts of the year. No powered boats or jet skis are allowed. All vessels must be inspected for invasive Quagga mussels prior to launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windy Hill Open Space Preserve</span>

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in San Mateo County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD). It is readily identifiable from the flatlands of the South Bay, as it is the only "naked" part of the peninsula range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremont Older Open Space Preserve</span> United States historic place

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is a 739-acre (299 ha) regional park located in Santa Clara County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The preserve contains 14.7 miles (23.7 km) of hiking trails, nearly all open to equestrians and bicycles. The area has been owned by the district since 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve</span>

Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve is a 1,540-acre (620 ha) regional park located near Saratoga Gap in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Santa Clara County, California. The preserve is owned and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The preserve contains about 2 miles (3 km) of hiking trails, which are open to equestrians and bicycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mountain (near Los Altos, California)</span> Mountain in Santa Clara County, California

Black Mountain is a summit on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains of west Santa Clara County, California, south of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, and west of Cupertino; it is within the Palo Alto city limits though not near the developed part of the city. It is located on the border between Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve and Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, with the summit located in the former. Early Spanish explorers commonly named tree- or chaparral-covered summits which look black in the distance Loma Prieta, from the Spanish . The Spanish also called the middle portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains the Sierra Morena meaning, extending from Half Moon Bay Road south to a gap at Lexington Reservoir, and which includes a summit called Sierra Morena. There are over 100 "Black Mountains" in California.

The Picchetti Winery, also known as the Picchetti Ranch, is a winery located at 13100 Montebello Road in Cupertino, California in the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve. The Picchetti brothers, Secondo and Vincenzo, for whom the ranch was named, were among the earliest settlers to plant grapes on this ridge, which they named "Monte Bello" or "beautiful mountain." This ridge was later to become one of Santa Clara County's important vineyard areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho San Antonio County Park</span>

Rancho San Antonio County Park and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve are a conjoined public recreational area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the northwest quadrant of Santa Clara County, California. The County Park is bordered by Los Altos with some parts of the eastern part of the County Park in western Cupertino. The Open Space Preserve is on the west side of the County Park, also bordered by Los Altos Hills, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, and the Permanente Quarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve</span> Public recreation area in California, US

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve is a public recreation area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo County in northern California. It is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve</span> Californian park

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County, California along the San Francisco Peninsula. Its 3,137 acres (1,269 ha) and 10.4 miles (16.7 km) of trails are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monte Bello Open Space Preserve</span>

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve is a 3,133-acre (12.68 km2) open space preserve, located near Palo Alto in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California, United States. The preserve encompasses the upper Stevens Creek watershed in the valley between Monte Bello Ridge and Skyline Ridge. "Monte Bello" means "beautiful mountain" in Italian, and refers to Black Mountain which is the highest part of Montebello Ridge. The straight valley of upper Stevens Creek is also the rift valley of the San Andreas Fault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Sereno Open Space Preserve</span>

El Sereno Open Space Preserve is a park unit of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District located on the peak and slopes of 2580 ft. El Sereno mountain, a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located in Santa Clara County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Trancos Creek</span> River in California, United States

Los Trancos Creek is a creek that flows northerly from Monte Bello Ridge on the northeast slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains to its confluence with San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University in California, United States. The creek forms the boundary between northwestern Santa Clara County and southeastern San Mateo County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pescadero Creek County Park</span> Park in San Mateo County, California

Pescadero Creek Park, located near Loma Mar, San Mateo County, California, United States, is operated by the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The park complex of 8,020 acres (32.5 km2) also includes the neighboring Memorial, Sam McDonald and Heritage Grove parks. The park borders Portola Redwoods State Park with seamless trails, and connects to Big Basin Redwoods State Park via a trail easement across private lands.

The La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve is a publicly accessible 6,142-acre open space reserve in San Mateo County, California, part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. It opened to the public in November 2017. The preserve was established in 1984. It was for years the largest of the open space preserve in the county not open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Ridge Open Space Preserve</span>

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve is a 2,035-acre (824 ha) open space preserve along Long Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Foothills Open Space Preserve is a 212-acre open space preserve on Page Mill Road in Palo Alto, California. The land for the preserve was gifted to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in 1974. The preserve's only trail is .4 miles and leads to a hilltop with views of the San Francisco Bay Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve</span> Protected area in California, US

The Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a public open space preserve in Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located along both sides of Bear Creek Road, west of State Route 17 and Lexington Reservoir, and mostly north and east of the Skyline Boulevard and Summit Road sections of State Route 35. It surrounds the Presentation Center, a conference and retreat facility run by the Sisters of Presentation.

References

  1. ↑ "History". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Public Information". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Members & Supporters". Bay Area Open Space Council. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  4. ↑ "About Us". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Activities". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Explore Your Backyard" (PDF). Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Preserves". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Enjoy your open space: Preserve Guide" (PDF). Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Cloverdale Ranch Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Coal Creek Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  12. ↑ "El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  13. ↑ "El Sereno Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Foothills Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Fremont Older Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Huge new Bay Area open space preserve opens to public". November 29, 2017.
  17. ↑ "La Honda Creek Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Long Ridge Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Los Trancos Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Projects: Johnston Ranch Property". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Monte Bello Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Picchetti Ranch Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved November 4, 2024.

37°23′47″N122°06′21″W / 37.39641°N 122.105922°W / 37.39641; -122.105922

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.