El Sereno Open Space Preserve

El Sereno Open Space Preserve[1] 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 preserve is located in Santa Clara County, California.

Campbell and San Jose from the El Sereno Open Space Preserve.
Lexington Reservoir from the preserve

Location

The city of Monte Sereno, California is named after El Sereno mountain.[2] A portion of the city is built on the foothills of the mountain. El Sereno mountain is paired with El Sombroso mountain on each side of Los Gatos, California.

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 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
Cougar track in the preserve

El Sereno mountain is a habitat for the Cougar. Signs at the entrance to the preserve warn visitors.

References
  1. "El Sereno Open Space Preserve". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "El Sereno Summit". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.

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