Moller Ranch Staging Area 

8107 Moller Ranch Drive, Pleasanton, California 94588, United States

 

Moller Trails is situated on the west side of Foothill Road within the 38-acre Gold Creek Open Space, a natural region south of the housing development of The Preserve. This open public space is adjacent to additional private open space owned and operated by both the subdivisions of The Preserve and Moller Ranch. The Preserve Staging Area includes a paved parking lot, public bathroom and trailheads. Public trails crisscrossing the open space and the bathroom are open to the public year round. Gold Creek Open Space includes grassy hillsides, oak woodlands with related understory species, seasonal creeks and springs, wooden bridges and riparian vegetation.

 

History

The Planning Commission approved the PUD (planned unit) on March 27, 1991.

Development) to subdivide a 271-acre lot into 100 single family homes for Presley Homes (now called The Preserve) on the condition that 189 acres remain as natural open space, with publicly accessible hiking trails. In 1993, the City of Pleasanton was granted a trail easement. This dedication enables residents of Pleasanton to hike on private property linking the trails of the Moller Ranch with the Gold Creek Open Space Preserve Trails.

 

Vegetation and Habitat

In 1991, the City created a wildlife corridor with permanent access to Gold and Laurel Creek. While several non-native grasses persist, native plants, including soaproot, stinging nettle and sticky monkey flower, can still be found. Red-tailed hawks and white-tailed kites are rising above sycamore, valley oaks, laurel and buckeye trees and maidenhair ferns are emerging in the canyon. The California Newts and the western fence lizard sun on the warm rocks and the earth. Mountain lions, although rarely seen, are also hunting in the area.

 

Rattlesnakes

Gold Creek Open Space is home to a lot of rattlesnakes. The rats eat mice, rats, small birds and other small animals. Through a bite, they infect their prey with venom. At the end of their tails, they will use rats to ward off predators. The rattlesnakes rarely bite unless they were provoked.

 

Wild Turkeys

Wild turkeys can be seen along the trails and in the oak savannahs of the foothills where insects, spiders, snails, slugs, salamanders, small lizards, small frogs, millipedes, grasshoppers, very small snakes, worms, grasses, vines, flowers, acorns, buds, seeds, fruits, clovers and other vegetation survive. While the wild turkeys we see today are considered non-native species, they have been linked to fossilized turkeys since 10,000 years ago and may well be considered a re-introduced species.