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]
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 of mountainous, foothill, and bayland open space, creating 26 open space preserves. 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 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.
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]
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 226miles of hiking trails, of which 150miles is open to bicycles, 182miles to equestrians, and 63miles to leashed dogs. 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.
The following open space preserves are managed by MROSD:[7]
| Access ! | Refs. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Redwoods | S of Los Gatos; SR 17 to Bear Creek Road | [8] | |||||
| Cloverdale Ranch | SR 1, near Pigeon Point Lighthouse | [9] | |||||
| Coal Creek | Skyline Blvd, approximately north of Page Mill Rd and south of SR 84 | [10] | |||||
| El Corte de Madera Creek | see also El Corte de Madera Creek (waterway) | parking lots off Skyline Blvd, approximately north of SR 84 | [11] | ||||
| El Sereno | Named for Mount El Sereno | west of SR 17 at Bear Creek Road / Montevina Road exit | [12] | ||||
| Foothills | Page Mill Road, southwest of I-280 | [13] | |||||
| Fremont Older | named for Fremont Older | exit SR 85 at De Anza, then take Prospect Road to parking space | [14] | ||||
| La Honda Creek | divided into Upper and Lower areas; Upper La Honda Creek requires no-fee permit | (Lower) via Sears Ranch Road, off SR 84 | [15] [16] | ||||
| Long Ridge | southern edge borders Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail | parking lots west of Skyline Blvd, approximately north of SR 9 and south of Page Mill Road | [17] | ||||
| Los Trancos | Page Mill Road, west of I-280 and east of Skyline Blvd | [18] | |||||
| Miramontes Ridge | closed to public; adjacent to Burleigh H. Murray Ranch; Johnston Ranch parcel added in 2024 | [19] | |||||
| Monte Bello | |||||||
| Picchetti Ranch | see also Picchetti Winery | ||||||
| Pulgas Ridge | |||||||
| Purisima Creek | |||||||
| Rancho San Antonio | |||||||
| Ravenswood | Opened to public in 1989 | ||||||
| Russian Ridge | Contains highest named point in San Mateo County: Borel Hill, | ||||||
| St. Joseph's Hill | |||||||
| Saratoga Gap | |||||||
| Sierra Azul | |||||||
| Skyline Ridge | |||||||
| Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Area | |||||||
| Teague Hill | |||||||
| Thornewood | |||||||
| Tunitas Creek | |||||||
| Windy Hill |