In August, Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve reopened to visitors after having been closed for nearly six months due to storm damage. The preserve sustained significant damage earlier this year and a sinkhole formed below Bear Creek Road, cutting off access to the preserve’s main parking area.
Santa Clara County installed a new culvert and repaired the road, and PG&E reenergized the preserve gate and pedestrian crossing safety beacons. Midpen crews worked to heal the land, removing hundreds of downed trees and repairing several landslides along the preserve’s trails.
With Bear Creek Redwoods open again after a long closure due to storm damage, we’re continuing efforts to expand public access into the northern portion of the preserve and continuing work to restore the health of its waterways.
The northern area of Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve is nearly 170 acres of oak woodlands, second-growth redwoods and California grasslands. It is also the site of several interconnected projects identified in Midpen’s long-term use and management plan for the preserve.
This plan, developed with extensive public input, serves as a roadmap for responsibly opening Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve to the public in phases, while preserving historic cultural resources and protecting and restoring diverse biological ecosystems.
This summer, Midpen began construction on several projects necessary to open two miles of trail. Before the trails can be opened to public access, crews are repairing and stabilizing the trail banks, installing two concrete bridges over creeks and restoring segments of the Briggs Creek channel to reduce erosion and regulate the creek’s flow. Construction is expected to last through the end of the year.
Additionally, Midpen is also working on a regional connection to Lexington Reservoir County Park, and by extension, Midpen’s St. Joseph’s Hill and Sierra Azul open space preserves. Midpen is also determining the final alignment for a planned multiuse trail that would be accessible to hikers, cyclists and equestrians.
An additional new parking area is also in the planning stage, in order to accommodate potential increased visitation as the preserve’s trail system expands and connects to surrounding trail networks.
Midpen is committed to providing ecologically sensitive recreational opportunities for the community while fortifying the long-term health of the land. Before any work begins, cultural, botanical and wildlife surveys are completed to ensure all construction activities are aware of rare species or sensitive habitats and areas.
As you plan your next trip to Bear Creek Redwoods, please keep in mind that the preserve may look different in places than it did before last winter’s storms, which brought an unprecedented amount of rainfall that saturated the soil and trails.
We appreciate your patience as we continue to work to improve Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.