Trails, Open Space & the Alpine Road Corridor — Preserving What Makes Portola Valley Portola Valley
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More than any other civic asset, Portola Valley's 100-mile trail system and its open space corridors define the town's identity and quality of life — and both are under active stewardship pressure. The Trails and Paths Committee meets regularly and is one of the most engaged volunteer committees in any small Bay Area city, with a June 17 meeting scheduled for trail coordination with the Portola Terrace project. The Portola Terrace project will add a public trail loop connecting to the existing Alpine Road trail network, with Stanford proposing an additional study on the viability of adding a fire access road for pedestrians — a modest but meaningful expansion of the town's trail system embedded as a condition of the housing approval. The Alpine Road Scenic Corridor, governed by its own specific plan, requires that development be screened by existing trees and built at setbacks that preserve the rural visual character — a standard that the Portola Terrace project was designed around. Maintaining trail safety, managing vegetation for both recreation and fire risk, and protecting the scenic corridor from incremental encroachment are ongoing governance challenges that require sustained civic attention.
Related cause: Parks & green space
Issue Timeline
Election6/2/2026, 12:00:00 PM
Measure D: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Voter-Sponsored Initiative Special Parcel Tax
To restore and protect natural open spaces and waterways by: managing land and creeks to reduce wildfires, floods, and water pollution; expanding trails; preser...
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