San Mateo peninsula watershed trails

San Mateo County Times/Aaron Kinney, 8/20/12.  "Peninsula's Fifield-Cahill trail a hidden gem."

Foggy Pacifica is over there, find it in late September

"The Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail opened in 2003, allowing visitors to explore the wooded heart of the Peninsula Watershed. The rugged territory surrounding Crystal Springs and other reservoirs is part of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The path is open for free docent-led excursions, mostly on the weekend.  

....  As the trail continues north to Fifield Ridge, the terrain shifts dramatically. Forest gives way to coastal scrub and sweeping views -- when the northerly ridge isn't blanketed in fog -- of Pacifica, northern San Mateo County and beyond, and the East Bay.

....  Abundant wildlife.  The 23,000-acre Peninsula Watershed, purchased by San Francisco along with the Spring Valley Water Company in 1930, is roughly 20 percent larger than Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County. It is a haven for wildlife, particularly endangered species, including the marbled murrelet and three butterfly species. On a recent hike, hawks, deer and two bobcats were spotted. 

"It's the largest concentration of rare, threatened and endangered species in the Bay Area," said John Fournet, community liaison and ridge trail coordinator for the watershed.  

But the size and remoteness of the property prove irresistible to illicit marijuana growers, whose garbage and fertilizer make for an environmental hazard. The San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force has seized 48,529 outdoor plants worth an estimated $170 million countywide in the past five years, a majority of it on the watershed."  Read Article,  includes trail photographs, and  information for planning a visit.

Posted by Kathy Meeh