A huge piece of coastal wonder
By Naomi Friedland
Located along the San Mateo County coast is one of the Bay Area’s newest and largest preserves. On Dec. 10, 2022, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, an independent special district dedicated to preserving the natural landscape in the greater Santa Cruz Mountains, purchased 6,300 acres from Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in an area known as Cloverdale Ranch. Midpen finalized the purchase in June 2023 and it's the biggest purchase in the agency's 50-year history.
Cloverdale Ranch is incredibly ecologically diverse, featuring rolling grasslands that rise up into the forested Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is home to seven sensitive natural communities that include 600 plant species and numerous special status creatures such as the San Francisco garter snake, California red-legged frog, western pond turtle, American badger, and California coast steelhead. There are 15 miles of streams and three critical watersheds that support habitats for threatened and endangered species and provide water for the local agricultural land.
“Creating new public access opportunities at Cloverdale Ranch will take time as we work to balance natural resource protection, local community interests and public safety considerations,” says Ryan McCauley, a public affairs specialist for Midpen. There is currently one trail open, Wilbur’s Watch Trail, a one-mile out-and-back trail through grassland and native coastal scrub, which was already open to the public prior to Midpen’s purchase. Midpen held two docent-led community days in July and plans to offer more guided access opportunities in 2024.
Cloverdale Ranch borders Año Nuevo State Park, Pigeon Point Light Station and Butano State Park; future trails will link to those neighboring sites. The already extensive property may further expand in 2025, adding 1,200 acres.
A Brief Cloverdale Ranch History:
Cloverdale Ranch is part of what was the territory of the Quiroste tribe, one of 50 independent tribal groups referred to as the Ohlone. The Quiroste people stewarded the Pescadero Marsh and lived in multiple village sites at the time of European contact in the 1770s. Midpen and POST work with tribal governments and indigenous descendants and communities to facilitate reconnection to their land.
Cloverdale Ranch, as its name suggests, has a rich agricultural history. Agricultural development in the San Mateo County coastline dates back to the 1850s, largely with dairy farms. To this day, coastside ranching and farming produce locally grown food for the surrounding communities and for export throughout the region and beyond.
Key Features to Check Out at Cloverdale Ranch:
Beautiful bodies of water: Butano Creek, Gazos Creek, and Arroyo de los Frijoles or “Bean Hollow Watershed.”
Birdwatchers’ paradise: “Cloverdale Ranch is located along the Pacific flyway, which extends from Alaska to South America, and brings a diverse array of species any time of year,” says Midpen wildlife biologist, Karine Tokatlian. In the grasslands, you can find burrowing owls overwintering in mammal burrows. The variety of wetland and woodland habitat types make way for northern harriers, olive-sided flycatchers, loggerhead shrikes, and common yellowthroat visitors. Bird lovers should also keep their eye out for marbled murrelets, an endangered seabird that nests in old-growth trees. “They are known to reproduce in the Gazos Creek watershed and have been observed flying adjacent to the preserve,” says Tokatlian.
Things to Note Before Visiting:
At this time, Wilbur’s Watch Trail is only accessible for hikers. Bicycles, dogs, and horses are not allowed. While Cloverdale Ranch features many water areas, swimming, wading, or engaging in any water-contact activity is prohibited.
Learn more about Cloverdale Ranch Preserve on Midpen’s website.
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