A 1,921-acre ranch in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains has become part of a much larger conservation landscape after the Peninsula Open Space Trust acquired the property for $24 million in 2026. Mead Ranch, located in Santa Clara County west of Morgan Hill, sits between existing open-space preserves and forms part of a patchwork of roughly 50,000 acres of protected and open land around the South Bay’s Coyote Valley. The acquisition is intended to protect the ranch and its wildlife habitat, while the property could eventually help fill a gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail, although public access and a trail route have not yet been confirmed.
California’s ranch links nearly 50,000 acres of protected land
Mead Ranch’s location is significant because it sits between existing protected areas. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, conservationists have highlighted the landscape as a corridor for animals including mountain lions and bobcats. The wider area also supports species such as the bay checkerspot butterfly, California tiger salamander and western pond turtle, along with other endemic wildlife.Marti Tedesco, POST’s senior manager of media and communications, described the area as important for wildlife. “What we’ve seen is, in fact, this is pretty much one of the most vital linkages,” Tedesco told the San Francisco Chronicle, referring to its importance not only for mountain lions and bobcats but also for other plant and animal species. The conservation group has not announced a detailed management or public-access plan for the property.
Mead Ranch could add 1.5 miles to the Bay Area Ridge Trail
The acquisition could also help the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a planned 550-mile loop around the region. Roughly 415 miles of the trail have already been established, while Mead Ranch could eventually provide about 1.5 miles of additional route. The property therefore sits near an existing gap in the developing trail network.However, access and trail construction are not yet confirmed. POST has no firm plan to open Mead Ranch to the public at present, although the organisation believes the property could eventually provide an appropriate connection for the Ridge Trail. POST says it can’t discuss a route until it learns where key species and habitats are on the property.
PC: Peninsula Open Space Trust
California’s Mead Ranch purchase protects 1,921 acres of land
For now, the primary purpose of the acquisition is conservation rather than recreation. POST acquired Mead Ranch specifically to protect its 1,921 acres, making the property part of a much larger landscape of conserved and open-space land around Coyote Valley. The purchase therefore adds another large block to an interconnected conservation area rather than simply creating a standalone preserve.The purchase was announced on 3 March 2026 and represents another step in efforts to preserve connected landscapes in the South Bay. POST is still determining how Mead Ranch might eventually be used, including whether it can help close a gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail. For now, the 1,921-acre ranch remains set aside for protection within the wider 50,000-acre open-space landscape.