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Rancho San Vicente Opening Day, 3/24/18 by Ronald Horii
On Saturday, 3/24/18, I went to the public opening of Rancho San Vicente. I took a short hike on the trails before it started to rain. I have a long history with the park:
On 6/13/09, I got to take a hike on a 966-acre property that was just purchased by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Rancho San Vicente: http://www.stpfriends.org/SanVicente/Hike.html
On 8/11/09, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors authorized the $16 million purchase of Rancho San Vicente from POST.
On 4/17/10, I helped to lead the first of many guided hikes for the County Parks there: http://www.stpfriends.org/RSV_04-17-10/Hike.html
From 2011 to 2013, the trails of Calero went through a master planning process, which incorporated Rancho San Vicente:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/PlansProjects/Pages/Calero-County-Park-Trails-Master-Plan.aspx
The trail crews started working on the trails. The first public trail work day was on 4/23/16 on what would later be named the Lisa Killough Trail:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1093117790711742.1073742042.100000405933924&type=1&l=4275c9bda5
On 11/19/16, there was a public trail work day on the Cottle Trail:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1244211178935735.1073742137.100000405933924&type=1&l=1ec46404b5
The park was supposed to open in spring of 2017, but because of heavy rains and unexpected setbacks, the opening was delayed. However, there was a dedication ceremony and preview hike held on 6/3/17: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1454006841289500.1073742215.100000405933924&type=1&l=86a3bc0766
The trail that was completed at that time was named the Lisa Killough Trail to honor the memory of the former director of the County Parks: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1454091307947720.1073742216.100000405933924&type=1&l=093928231f
The park is now open. It is one of the best wildflower parks in the County. They are not at their peak yet, but should be in a few weeks. The park has many rare and endangered species, such as the Bay checkerspot butterfly, California red-legged frog, Mt. Hamilton thistle, and Santa Clara Valley dudleya. All the trails in Rancho San Vicente are open to bikes, unlike most of the old trails in Calero. It is easily accessible from McKean Road, with a neighborhood entrance on Almaden Road. It provides an alternate way to reach the trails in the heart of Calero and Ranch Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve.
Calero webpage: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/Calero.aspx
Here's the updated Calero Park map, showing the new Rancho San Vicente Trails:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/CaleroGuideMap.pdf
Calero's neighbor, Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve:
https://www.openspaceauthority.org/visitors/preserves/rancho.html
Here are more pictures of Calero/Rancho San Vicente: http://www.rhorii.com/#Calero-RanchoSanVicente
On Saturday, 3/24/18, I went to the public opening of Rancho San Vicente. I took a short hike on the trails before it started to rain. I have a long history with the park:
On 6/13/09, I got to take a hike on a 966-acre property that was just purchased by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Rancho San Vicente: http://www.stpfriends.org/SanVicente/Hike.html
On 8/11/09, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors authorized the $16 million purchase of Rancho San Vicente from POST.
On 4/17/10, I helped to lead the first of many guided hikes for the County Parks there: http://www.stpfriends.org/RSV_04-17-10/Hike.html
From 2011 to 2013, the trails of Calero went through a master planning process, which incorporated Rancho San Vicente:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/PlansProjects/Pages/Calero-County-Park-Trails-Master-Plan.aspx
The trail crews started working on the trails. The first public trail work day was on 4/23/16 on what would later be named the Lisa Killough Trail:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1093117790711742.1073742042.100000405933924&type=1&l=4275c9bda5
On 11/19/16, there was a public trail work day on the Cottle Trail:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1244211178935735.1073742137.100000405933924&type=1&l=1ec46404b5
The park was supposed to open in spring of 2017, but because of heavy rains and unexpected setbacks, the opening was delayed. However, there was a dedication ceremony and preview hike held on 6/3/17: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1454006841289500.1073742215.100000405933924&type=1&l=86a3bc0766
The trail that was completed at that time was named the Lisa Killough Trail to honor the memory of the former director of the County Parks: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1454091307947720.1073742216.100000405933924&type=1&l=093928231f
The park is now open. It is one of the best wildflower parks in the County. They are not at their peak yet, but should be in a few weeks. The park has many rare and endangered species, such as the Bay checkerspot butterfly, California red-legged frog, Mt. Hamilton thistle, and Santa Clara Valley dudleya. All the trails in Rancho San Vicente are open to bikes, unlike most of the old trails in Calero. It is easily accessible from McKean Road, with a neighborhood entrance on Almaden Road. It provides an alternate way to reach the trails in the heart of Calero and Ranch Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve.
Calero webpage: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/Calero.aspx
Here's the updated Calero Park map, showing the new Rancho San Vicente Trails:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/CaleroGuideMap.pdf
Calero's neighbor, Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve:
https://www.openspaceauthority.org/visitors/preserves/rancho.html
Here are more pictures of Calero/Rancho San Vicente: http://www.rhorii.com/#Calero-RanchoSanVicente
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