Nature Abounds at this Man-Made Park in Silicon Valley

This story was first published in the Epoch Times on July 29, 2022

In the midst of Silicon Valley lies a man-made oasis. Shoreline Park in Mountain View, California, provides recreational opportunities for people as well as natural habitats for wildlife. Within its 750 acres lies an 18-hole championship golf course, a historic house, a 50-acre lake, a boathouse, children’s playground, two restaurants, a dog park, kite-flying park, and eight miles of trails linking lawns, fields, and estuaries. There is something for everyone.

Shoreline Park History

Shoreline Park was conceived in 1968 by the city of Mountain View, but it took fifteen years to come to fruition. During that time, the city operated Shoreline as a waste-management plant, accepting landfill from nearby cities. This was not as crazy as it sounds. The city wanted to mitigate potential flooding at Shoreline, so they used landfill to raise the grounds by fifteen feet. Mountain View also began a methane-gas recovery project from Shoreline’s landfill. Scrubbed gas benefited the city and generated income to build the future park. Although the methane-recovery project ended in 1993, the city—using an underground network of pipes—still collects and manages landfill gas. The gas is used to fuel generators, while excess gas is safely incinerated.

Rengstorff House

Around 1867 Henry Rengstorff built his Victorian-Italianate house in what is now Shoreline Business Park. An immigrant from Germany, Henry worked as a farm laborer, saving enough money to purchase squatter’s rights to land in San Jose and Milpitas. His expanding landholdings enabled him to become a farmer of both agriculture and cattle. Later, he built a ship landing and warehouses in Mountain View.

In 1979 the city of Mountain View bought the old Rengstorff house for $1.00. They moved it to its present site in 1986. For five years it stood, looking like a perfect haunted house, but in 1991, the city restored it and opened the house to the public. Due to covid-restrictions, docent-led tours are currently on hold, but the grounds and house are available to rent for special occasions, including weddings.

Shoreline Lake

Shoreline Lake is a 50-acre, salt-water lake utilized by both man and bird. Water is circulated through the lake by a system that pumps it in from the San Francisco Bay and out to Permanente Creek. As a result, the lake is full of natural life: fish, crabs, vegetation, crustaceans and mollusks, as well as the birds that feed on them.

Outside of summer, the lake belongs mostly to the birds. During the summer however, human water enthusiasts take over. A handsome boathouse accommodates the Shoreline Aquatic Center from which people can rent any type of non-motorized water craft. Bikes, child-trailers, and scooters may be rented as well. Classes and camps are offered for sports such as sailing, windsurfing, and even Yoga—on stand-up paddle boards.

Seasons of Birds

As part of the San Francisco Bay estuary system, Shoreline Lake lies under the Pacific Flyway. The Pacific Flyway is a migratory bird path that stretches 4000 miles north-south from the Arctic to the west coast of Mexico, and 1000 miles east-west from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. In order to reach warmer habitats, around a billion birds migrate along this route each spring and fall. Shoreline Lake and its connecting estuaries are a haven for many of these birds.

Birders eagerly await the arrival of fall/winter migrants. Diving ducks such as Barrow’s and Common Goldeneye, Surf-Scoters, and Buffleheads dive through the water, seeking out crustaceans. Flocks of Northern Shovelers dabble, straining food from their shovel-like beaks. The waters around Shoreline fill up with thousands of birds in the winter, but spring sees them off, as they seek the plentiful feeding grounds of northern summer habitats.

Yet the arrival of spring brings other migrants. Barn and Cliff Swallows hunt insects over the fields and ponds, build nests in overhangs, and flock to chase away hunting Harrier Hawks. Forster’s Terns and Black Skimmers nest on the small island within Shoreline Lake, and in summer, the green lawns of Shoreline provide grazing areas for families of Canadian Geese.

Hiking

Shoreline Park is connected to a wider network of trails such as the Stevens Creek trail, Permanente Creek Trail, and Bay Loop Trail. A favorite trail for walkers is the Adobe Creek Loop Trail, which lies to the left beyond Shoreline Lake. The 5.5 mile trail takes you between Adobe Creek on the left and Charleston Slough on the right, all the way out to Byxbee Park in the Palo Alto Baylands. You can go out and back, or finish the loop as it runs along Matadero Creek, parallels Highway 101 and the Bayshore Road for 3/4 mile, before returning to Adobe Creek and Shoreline Lake. Walkers, runners, and bikers share the trail with birders and photographers.

Restaurants and More

One need not go hungry at Shoreline Park. Picnickers of course are welcome, but there are also two restaurants to choose from: Michaels At Shoreline and the American Bistro. Both offer breakfast and lunch, as well as nice views of the golf course or lake, seven days a week.

Children can climb or dig in the sand around a boat-structured playground next to the lake. The playground is kept clean by park maintenance personnel.

Just inside the entrance and to the right of Shoreline Park lies the kite-flying lot. There is usually a good breeze here, making this a popular place for people to fly both basic and stunt kites. The lot has its own parking area and there are benches around the perimeter.

A dog park is located right before the entrance to Shoreline Park. Otherwise, dogs are not allowed in Shoreline.

For more information about Shoreline Park, please visit their website at https://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/shoreline