El Sereno Open Space Preserve is a park unit of the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District located on the peak and slopes of 2580 ft. El Sereno mountain, a peak in the
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States. They form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. They separate the Pacific Ocean from ...
. The preserve is located in
Santa Clara County, California.
Location
The city of
Monte Sereno, California
Monte Sereno (Spanish for "Serene Mountain") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 3,479 at the 2020 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about southwest of San Jose, ...
is named after El Sereno mountain.
A portion of the city is built on the foothills of the mountain. El Sereno mountain is paired with
El Sombroso mountain
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States. They form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. They separate the Pacific Ocean fro ...
on each side of
Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...
.
Geology
The
San Andreas Fault runs in the valley immediately to the south of the mountain. The Berrocal fault zone runs under the mountain's northern slope. A small, unnamed fault runs in the small valley that leads down to Canon Dr.
Views
The preserve offers visitors views of
Silicon Valley,
Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...
and
Lexington Reservoir. The
Monterey peninsula can be seen in the distance.
Trails
Limited parking is available at the end of Montevina Rd. The Montevina Ridge Trail from there connects to the Aquinas Trail. The Serenity Trail goes to the base of a power pole overlooking Lexington Reservoir. The Overlook Trail is accessed at the end of Overlook Drive.
Cougar habitat
El Sereno mountain is a habitat for the
Cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
. Signs at the entrance to the preserve warn visitors.
References
External links
Map of El Sereno Open Space PreserveMountain biking page about the preserveUSGS Map of the Sargent-Berrocal fault zone
Parks in Santa Clara County, California
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Nature reserves in California
Santa Cruz Mountains
Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area
Bay Area Ridge Trail
{{SantaClaraCountyCA-geo-stub