Bodfish Preserve
A Neighborhood Park
With its dream-like woodlands and footpaths that connect to nearby trails, the 7-acre Bodfish preserve is a community treasure. But it might not have been this way. Before her death in 1999, Margaret Bodfish established a trust so that her Orinda property and its adobe home on Miner Road would be preserved as a public park. In the ensuing years, the Canyon Ranch Homeowner’s Association, the Orinda Highlands Homeowner’s Association and the Orinda Parks and Recreation Foundation all worked together to protect the oak-covered property. But, they had not found a permanent solution before a vital deadline approached.
The Bodfish Trust specified that if the property did not become a park within four years, ownership would be transferred to UC Santa Cruz. Had that happened, it likely would have been auctioned off to a developer. At the 11th hour, when the land was just days from being transferred to the university, JMLT stepped in and took ownership instead — to preserve it as public open space and a wildlife sanctuary.
In order to more effectively preserve and maintain this area, we eventually sold the property to a private party and now permanently protect it by holding a conservation easement. The Bodfish Preserve remains open to the public, and the neighbors who fought so long to protect this property are delighted to share it with the wider community.
Enjoying the shaded trails on an early morning jog. Photo: Walt Denson
GETTING TO BODFISH PRESERVE
The Bodfish Preserve is located along Miner Road in the hills of Orinda.
From Highway 24: Take the St. Stephens exit. Drive north up St. Stephens Drive about 1/2 mile. Turn right on Las Vegas Rd. and immediately bear right on Via Las Cruces. Turn left on Honey Hill Road and continue straight as Honey Hill becomes Miner Road. Bodfish Preserve is on the left approximately 1/3 mile past Gardiner Court. It is unmarked.
A Neighborhood Park
With its dream-like woodlands and footpaths that connect to nearby trails, the 7-acre Bodfish preserve is a community treasure. But it might not have been this way. Before her death in 1999, Margaret Bodfish established a trust so that her Orinda property and its adobe home on Miner Road would be preserved as a public park. In the ensuing years, the Canyon Ranch Homeowner’s Association, the Orinda Highlands Homeowner’s Association and the Orinda Parks and Recreation Foundation all worked together to protect the oak-covered property. But, they had not found a permanent solution before a vital deadline approached.
The Bodfish Trust specified that if the property did not become a park within four years, ownership would be transferred to UC Santa Cruz. Had that happened, it likely would have been auctioned off to a developer. At the 11th hour, when the land was just days from being transferred to the university, JMLT stepped in and took ownership instead — to preserve it as public open space and a wildlife sanctuary.
In order to more effectively preserve and maintain this area, we eventually sold the property to a private party and now permanently protect it by holding a conservation easement. The Bodfish Preserve remains open to the public, and the neighbors who fought so long to protect this property are delighted to share it with the wider community.
Enjoying the shaded trails on an early morning jog. Photo: Walt Denson
GETTING TO BODFISH PRESERVE
The Bodfish Preserve is located along Miner Road in the hills of Orinda.From Highway 24: Take the St. Stephens exit. Drive north up St. Stephens Drive about 1/2 mile. Turn right on Las Vegas Rd. and immediately bear right on Via Las Cruces. Turn left on Honey Hill Road and continue straight as Honey Hill becomes Miner Road. Bodfish Preserve is on the left approximately 1/3 mile past Gardiner Court. It is unmarked.