Helping Plants, Animals & People Thrive
Midpen has a braided mission to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity, to protect and restore the natural environment, and to provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. On the San Mateo County Coastside, our mission expands to include acquiring and preserving agricultural land of regional significance, to preserve rural character, and to encourage viable agricultural use of land resources.
Discover Your Preserves
Welcome to Midpen
Room to Breathe
When you visit a Midpen preserve, you immediately may notice the differences from other city or county parks that you have visited. There is scenic beauty to absorb and wild landscapes to explore. Parking areas are generally small and amenities typically few and rustic. While visiting, it is important to remember that these public open space lands are being actively managed to protect natural resources, restore native habitats, encourage biodiversity and increase the region's resilience to climate change. By providing opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education, Midpen preserves offer people room to breathe and connections with nature, while giving plants and animals a chance to thrive.
Open Space for All
Whether you're planning to explore Midpen preserves on foot, wheels or hooves, there is a wide range of low impact ways to experience your public open space lands. Twenty-four preserves are open to the public, free-of-charge, from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. Nearly 250 miles of multiuse trails, ranging from easy access to challenging terrain, are available for walking, hiking, running, horseback riding, mountain biking and on-leash dog walking. We also offer environmental interpretation, docent-led activities and volunteer opportunities. There's even a backpack campground, an educational farm, a historic winery and much more to discover!
Know Before You Go
If you've ever become lost or run out of water, you've learned that being unprepared for a visit to an open space can lead to stressful, even dangerous, situations. The best way to avoid such a situation is to prepare. Plan your day before you leave home and check the weather. Please be sure to download a map, no matter how short you think your visit will be, and bring your phone even if you don't know if you will have service. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. Pack a bag with plenty of water, snacks, layers for different weather and sun protection. And always have a trash bag with you so that you leave nothing behind at the end of your visit.
Recreate Responsibly
When we care for the land, the land cares for us, providing tangible and intangible benefits like clean air and water, flood protection and the opportunity for restorative experiences in nature. This requires us all to do our part. For example, staying on designated trails prevents erosion and the spread of nonnative invasive plant seeds, as well as plant diseases like Sudden Oak Death. Please leave ecosystems whole by taking photos, rather than flowers. Help keep wildlife wild by maintaining distance from animals you may encounter and never feeding any wild animals. Disposing of waste properly, including organic waste like fruit peels and pits, helps discourage animals from frequenting areas where people are and prevents dangerous situations for both.
Share the Space
At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our preserves. Everyone, regardless of background, where you come from, what language you speak, how you identify, with whom you associate, is welcome in the public open space preserves Midpen holds in trust for us all. We kindly ask that you be respectful of and patient with all preserve users and follow all Midpen rules, regulations, preserve policies, safety precautions and etiquette guidelines.
Midpen Milestones
What We Do
Here's a look at just a few of our current projects.
