The
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is a
special-purpose districtThere are two types of special-purpose districts in the United States: school districts and special districts. Please see the Wikipedia entry on school districts for a discussion of those. This article will describe special districts. Special districts typically have "district" or "authority" in...
that manages over 50,000 acres (200 km²) of
open spaceOpen space may refer to:In urban planning and conservation ethics:*Landscape, areas of land sans human-built structures.*Open space reserve, areas of protected or conserved land on which development is indefinitly set aside....
in 25 preserves in the
San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Yay Area, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses large cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and...
. It includes parts of
Santa ClaraSanta Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2000 it had a population of 1,682,585. The U.S. Census estimate for 2008 was 1,764,499. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa...
,
San MateoSan Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
and
Santa CruzSanta Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of 2006 its population was 249,705. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
Counties. The District was created by
voter initiativeIn political science, the initiative provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or ordinance, or, in its minimal form, to simply oblige the executive or...
in 1972. The mission of the District is "to acquire and preserve a continuous
greenbeltA green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
of protected open space lands for public use and enjoyment." It is a member of the
Bay Area Open Space CouncilThe Bay Area Open Space Council is a collaborative program of public and non-profit agencies and organizations, providing regional leadership and expertise for the preservation and professional management of important open spaces in and around the cities of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
The District's tax and voter base consists of about 550 mi² (1,400 km²) and 741,000 people, mostly in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
The
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is a
special-purpose districtThere are two types of special-purpose districts in the United States: school districts and special districts. Please see the Wikipedia entry on school districts for a discussion of those. This article will describe special districts. Special districts typically have "district" or "authority" in...
that manages over 50,000 acres (200 km²) of
open spaceOpen space may refer to:In urban planning and conservation ethics:*Landscape, areas of land sans human-built structures.*Open space reserve, areas of protected or conserved land on which development is indefinitly set aside....
in 25 preserves in the
San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Yay Area, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses large cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and...
. It includes parts of
Santa ClaraSanta Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2000 it had a population of 1,682,585. The U.S. Census estimate for 2008 was 1,764,499. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa...
,
San MateoSan Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
and
Santa CruzSanta Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of 2006 its population was 249,705. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
Counties. The District was created by
voter initiativeIn political science, the initiative provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or ordinance, or, in its minimal form, to simply oblige the executive or...
in 1972. The mission of the District is "to acquire and preserve a continuous
greenbeltA green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
of protected open space lands for public use and enjoyment." It is a member of the
Bay Area Open Space CouncilThe Bay Area Open Space Council is a collaborative program of public and non-profit agencies and organizations, providing regional leadership and expertise for the preservation and professional management of important open spaces in and around the cities of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
The District's tax and voter base consists of about 550 mi² (1,400 km²) and 741,000 people, mostly in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. It operates on a $19 million budget, most of which is from property taxes. It also occasionally receives state and federal grants, as well as private donations.
Recreation
Most of the preserves are open to
recreationRecreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. While leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or sleep, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner...
. Popular activities are
hikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking have been confirmed in studies...
,
cyclingMountain biking is an ever evolving sport that has recently seen a huge flux of popularity but has firm roots in experimentation with non "mountain" style bicycles. The sport consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, with specially equipped mountain bikes or hybrid / cross...
, and
horseback ridingEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
.
CampingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights, usually at a campsite, which may have cabins...
is generally prohibited, though the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve does have a
backpackingBackpacking combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.-Definition:A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack...
camp available by permit only. Of the 26 preserves, 24 are fully open to the public: Mills Creek Open Space Preserve and Tunitas Creek Open Space Preserve are not open; 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 toxic contamination at the summit of
Mount UmunhumMount Umunhum is the fourth-highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California . The mountain is situated in Santa Clara County, southeast of Los Gatos and south of South San Jose...
.
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. 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.
Open space preserves
The following open space preserves are managed by MROSD:
- Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
- Coal Creek Open Space Preserve
- El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve (see also El Corte de Madera Creek
El Corte de Madera Creek is a small river in San Mateo County, California and is a tributary of San Gregorio Creek. It is surrounded by the El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve....
)
- El Sereno Open Space Preserve
- Foothills Open Space Preserve
- Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is a 739-acre regional park located in Santa Clara County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The preserve contains about 9 miles of hiking trails, nearly all of which are open to equestrians and 8 miles of which are open...
- La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve
- Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
- Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
Los Trancos Open Space Preserve is a 274-acre open space preserve, located in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California, near Palo Alto. The preserve contains about 5 miles of hiking trails, of which 2.1 miles are open to equestrians, and none are open to bicycles.The area was once a part...
- Mills Creek Open Space Preserve
- Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
- Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve (see also Picchetti Brothers Winery
The Picchetti Brothers Winery, also known as the Picchetti Ranch, is a winery located at 13100 Montebello Rd., Cupertino, California in the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve...
)
- Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve
Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve is a public recreation area in San Mateo County in California. It is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. It covers with of trails with elevation changes of around . Trails provide views of San Francisco Bay and undeveloped hillsides.The...
- Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
- Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Rancho San Antonio is a public recreational area in Santa Clara County, in California. It's approximately in area and contains of hiking trails...
- Ravenswood Open Space Preserve
- Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
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 and of trails are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District...
- St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve
- Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve
Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve is a 1291-acre 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...
- Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in Santa Clara County, California. It's approximately in area. The park features the Sierra Azul range's peaks of Mount Umunhum, Mount Thayer, and El Sombroso...
- Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
- Steven's Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area Open Space Preserve
- Teague Hill Open Space Preserve
- Thornewood Open Space Preserve
- Tunitas Creek Open Space Preserve
- Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in San Mateo County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District...
External links