Breathtaking real estate on San Mateo County coast to become park

PESCADERO, Calif. - A breathtaking section of real estate along the San Mateo County coast that had been scheduled to become luxury homes will soon be available for the general public to enjoy.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District bought Cloverdale Ranch for $16 million this week from another environmental protection group, the Peninsula Open Space Turst.

Now the nearly 10-square miles of open space will be gradually transformed into a public park.

District officials say the new plan for Cloverdale Park will benefit people, animals and plants now -- and in the future.

"This land is vast in acreage but also vast in the natural resource values that it has," said Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District General Manager Ana Maria Ruiz. "It is home to some of the rarest, threatened and endangered species in our region, including the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog. It also has an incredible vast acreage of grasslands that also provides agricultural uses, so another food source for our region."

There's already a one-mile trail open on the property.

And starting this spring, the district will hold days where people can take hikes on other parts of the land, led by park experts.

Officials are also looking for public in-put on how best to use and preserve the land for generations to come.

Cloverdale Ranch rises from the San Mateo County coast through grasslands to the forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.