Get your hiking shoes ready: New trails will soon be open at Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. Midpen is nearing the finish line on a Measure AA-funded project to expand public access and help restore the ecological health of this South Bay preserve, known for its redwood forests in close proximity to Silicon Valley. Approximately two miles of new trail will open this fall, bringing the preserve’s total trail network to approximately 10 miles.
"This new project at Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve is a great example of how Midpen staff work to thoughtfully design and construct new public access infrastructure that complements the land and enriches the experience for preserve visitors,” said Midpen Capital Projects Manager Zachary Alexander.
Landslide repairs, erosion control measures and creek restoration projects are also being completed in this preserve, which has a long and storied history of human uses. Crews removed debris dumped in the creek, stabilized storm-damaged slopes and recontoured a creek bed to better withstand winter flows.
The new trails will wind through a tapestry of ecosystems. One new trail will be named in honor of longtime Midpen board member Pete Siemens, who passed away in 2023, and was a champion of protecting and opening Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve.
The Pete Siemens Trail will take visitors through a cathedral-like redwood grove before descending into a shaded oak woodland and traversing babbling creeks lined with ferns and willows using newly constructed bridges.
Emerging from the creek, the trail ascends toward a sun-drenched expanse of California grassland, sporting its dry-season golden hue, then transforming to its green winter coat when the rains arrive. Here, the trail abuts a wetland meadow supporting water-loving plants and wildlife.
“This project was a great opportunity for our team to provide an enjoyable trail experience while also contributing to the health of the preserve. There are several features built into the trails to make sure they withstand the test of time and prevent erosion into nearby creeks,” explained Midpen Maintenance and Construction Supervisor Cody Fickes, who oversaw the trail-building teams.
The overall vision for Bear Creek Redwoods is outlined in a comprehensive preserve plan that was finalized in 2017, and emphasizes balancing public access with environmental protection. Measure AA, a bond measure approved by local voters in 2014, has provided the funding allowing Midpen to begin implementing the preserve plan over the last decade, including opening Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve to the public in 2019, restoring its forests and waterways, preserving and interpreting its rich cultural history and building out a trail network allowing the public to enjoy this special place for generations to come.