Every year Loma Prieta Chapter volunteer leaders organize hundreds of outings, often to places that our chapter has helped to preserve. Simply being in nature is not sufficient to inspire people to help preserve nature, so all outing leaders are required to provide a locally relevant conservation message. That is why the Outings Conservation Messages have been created with the advice of outings leaders and for outings leaders to share with outing participants.
Do you have a favorite park? Would you like to tell others about the conservation history of and chapter involvement with the park? If so, use the Coyote Valley template to create an Outing Conservation Message. If you don't have a particular park in mind but would like to help update or expand our current Outing Conservation Messages, contact that Chapter Director at chapter.director@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org.
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Alviso
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The Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge consists of about 30,000 acres of crucial wetland habitat, with about 3,080 acres belonging to the Alviso portion. The Refuge is a vital sanctuary for migrating birds travelling along the Pacific Flyway as well as many endangered species, such as the salt marsh harvest mouse, the Ridgway’s Rail, and the Western Snowy Plover. The DENWR is a part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project which is the largest tidal wetland restoration project on the West Coast, with a goal of transforming about 15,000 acres of industrial land into wetland ecosystems. Download PDF
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Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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Established in 1902, Big Basin Redwoods is California’s oldest state park. In the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, its biggest attractions are its ancient coast redwoods. Some of these giants are more than 50 feet around and over 300 feet tall. At 1,000 to |
Butano State Park
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Butano State Park, situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains midway between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, is prized for the diversity of its habitats and wildlife, and for the depth of its solitude. The park was created in 1957 to protect California’s coast redwoods from logging. Today’s visitors will discover a quiet canyon filled with towering second- and third growth- redwood trees, babbling creeks, and more. |
Castle Rock State Park
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Dr. Russell Varian, a pioneer of x-ray and radar technology, spent much of his youth exploring and hiking the canyons near Castle Rock. Varian was the first to measure Earth’s magnetic field, using some sites in today’s park. In 1959, he secured an option to purchase this land and planned to donate it to California State Parks. Varian died before completing the purchase. The Sierra Club and Sempervirens Fund later donated the land in his memory. In July of 1968, Castle Rock was designated a state park. This park has trails for all levels and especially attracts rock climbers and nature lovers. |
Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve
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Coyote Valley is more than 7000 acres of the most beautiful and environmentally important area in San Jose, but it is at risk of development that would jeopardize a vital wildlife corridor, put San Jose’s groundwater supply at risk, eliminate some of the best remaining farmland in the county, and effectively cripple San Jose’s goal of substantially reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Bobcats, Mountain Lions, Badgers, and many other species have been photographed or identified in the area. Wildlife is already using culverts to cross Highway 101 and those crossings could be made even more effective. Threatened species, including Swainson’s Hawks, have been observed both nesting and foraging in the valley. The valley is an extremely important wintering area for many bird species which prefer the flat valley floor over mountainous areas. |
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Edgewood Park
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The grasslands of Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve are famous for their magnificent displays of wildflowers each spring. The park's location, within easy access to Interstate 280 and Edgewood Road, makes this beautiful display readily accessible to the population centers of the San Francisco Peninsula. The Park's 467 acres of woodlands and grasslands afford wonderful hiking, plant spotting, and wildlife observation opportunities. Frogs, alligator lizards, snakes, and many birds can be see in just a few hours. The greenish serpentine rock that is found at Edgewood is rare. Minerals in serpentine inhibit growth of invasive European grasses but nourish California native plants -- resulting in the spectacular wildflowers each spring. |
Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
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The Enid Pearson - Arastradero Preserve provides 644 acres of open space for visitors to enjoy, such as lake and bay views, grasslands and forests. It is located in the Palo Alto foothills, at the The preserve protects almost all of Arastradero Creek which flows into Matadero Creek, and supports crucial grassland savanna, oak woodland and riparian ecosystems. Currently, volunteers from Grassroots Ecology and Acterra have been removing nonnative species and planting native grasses, acorns and oak saplings to restore natural habitat. Volunteers from Acterra have pursued a large-scale creek daylighting project and have been planting riparian species in an effort to restore and stabilize the native ecosystem. |
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
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About 14 miles of trails ranging from different lengths and difficulties are available for use on the 739-acres of land at the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. The two featured lookout points, Maisie’s Peak and Hunters Point, offer stunning views of the valley below. Some of the wildlife that has been seen at Fremont Older includes deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, gray foxes, and rattle snakes. The Preserve offers a variety of ecosystems such as grasslands, orchards, chaparrals, and forests. Visitors have spotted stinkhorn fungus growing along the Preserve as well as California poppy. |
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Hidden Villa
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Hidden Villa is a nonprofit educational organization that uses its organic farm, wilderness, and community to teach and provide opportunities to learn about the environment and social justice. Hidden Villa stretches over 1600 acres of open space in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 40 miles south of San Francisco. Every year 30,000 people participate in one of their formal programs. An additional 20,000 visitors come to their preserve annually to explore the farm and gardens or to hike their eight miles of trails. |
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Mount Umunhum
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Mount Umunhum consists of 18,000-acres and has an elevation of 3,486 feet making it one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Open Space Preserve contains over 63 unique species and over 324 native and animal species. Mount Umunhum is teeming with rich history dating back millions of years ago to when the San Andreas fault began forming and shaping the mountain itself. The San Andreas Fault created a diverse geologic environment which has attracted people from all over for hundreds of years. Mount Umunhum served as one of the largest Native American population centers in all of North America with about 70 different tribes calling it home. |
Pinnacles National Park
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Pinnacles National Park is located east of the Salinas Valley. It consists of more than 30 miles of trails and was formed when the partial Pinnacles volcanic field, trapped between the San Andreas and Pinnacles Fault, started sinking downward, exposing its terrain to weather which created its unique topography. It contains a variety of landscapes, from volcanic rock spires and crags to caves to rolling hills. Pinnacles boasts a variety of bird species, including prairie and peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and the California condor. It also contains amphibians which live mostly in caves, including the Pacific tree frog and California red-legged frog. At least 13 species of bats live in the numerous talus caves. |
Portola Redwoods State Park
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Portola Redwoods State Park is made up of about 2,800 acres of tranquil creeks and towering redwoods. Along with massive redwoods, the park also features scenic waterfalls at the Fall and Pescadero creeks. With nearly 18 miles of trails and over 55 camp sites, the park attracts all types of visitors for various recreational activities. A notable attraction to the park are the vibrantly colored orange and yellow leopard lilies. They can be found blooming from May to July and draw hummingbirds and butterflies for pollination. Some of the other wildlife that can be found at Portola Redwoods State Park include banana slugs, steelhead trout, and mountain lions. |
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Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve
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Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve is located on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Half Moon Bay. The centerpiece of this 4,711-acre Preserve is Purisima Creek Canyon, with its towering redwoods and rushing creek. Magnificent views of the coast and Half Moon Bay are visible from the northern part of the preserve. Today, the eight-mile-long Purisima Creek is mostly pure again, flowing down the ridge year-round through steep-sided gulches. But in the 1880s, its water was appropriated to drive the steam-powered saws and the “donkey engines” that hauled logs to the halfdozen mills then operating here. |
Rancho San Antonio
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Rancho San Antonio consists of 3,988 acres of Open Space Preserve as well as a 165- acre County Park. The preserve is made up of about 24 miles of trails with varying difficulties allowing the opportunity for many different recreational activities. The preserve is also home to an extensive range of wildlife such as bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, Northern Checkerspot butterflies, California red-legged frogs, wild turkeys, and more. Rancho San Antonio borders the Hidden Villa Ranch, the site where your Loma Prieta Chapter was founded back in 1933. |
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Shoreline Park
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The origins of the park date back to 1968, when the city of Mountain View started planning the park. It would be another 15 years (1983) until the 750 acres of park would officially open to the public. Several former salt pons are the object of intense works of habitat restoration. The park is a popular destination for walks and bike rides for young and old alike and an excellent destination for birders. The small lake in the park is used for windsurfing lessons and paddleboarding. |
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Wilder Ranch
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Wilder Ranch State Park consists of about 7,000 acres and 35 miles of trails suitable for various recreational activities including hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Along with this extensive array of trails, the park also contains a dairy ranch and an adobe from the 1800’s. The Victorian home and the farm animals of the dairy ranch allows visitors to experience some of the history associated with the lifestyle of an 1800’s California dairy rancher. Once the main rancho supplier of the Santa Cruz Mission, the Wilder ranch now serves as a historical site for visitors’ enjoyment. |