Milagra Ridge
Encyclopedia
Milagra Ridge is a 240 acre (.97 km²) parcel of land that is an isolated island ecosystem, located about 7 miles (11 km) south of San Francisco, near the city of Pacifica
. It first inhabited by the Ohlone
indigenous people, then later claimed by Spanish settlers and Mexican ranchers.
and the Marin Headlands
, was part of a defense network that protected San Francisco Bay
. It was decommissioned in 1950.
In 1954 Nike missile site SF-51L was built here and was decommissioned in 1974 and turned over to the city of Pacifica
. In the mid-1960s, Pacifica considered utilizing the WW-II era Battery 244 casemate (bunker) as their police station, but in 1969, a different location was chosen. However, Pacifica Police Department and other
city municipal agencies did use the bunker for records storage. In April 1971, someone broke into the bunker and set the records on fire. Shortly afterward, Pacifica stopped using the bunker.
In 1984 the National Park Service
acquired Milagra Ridge and made it a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
. Community based volunteer efforts have successfully improved the habitat of the Mission Blue and San Bruno elfin
butterflies, the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog, all of which are endangered or threatened species. Today, it is a protected area and is open for hiking. In the late Spring, the area provides thousands of tiny wild coast strawberries interspersed with poison oak.
Milagra Ridge is home to a USGS seismometer that is very close to the city of San Francisco and provides nearly-real-time data to the public.
Pacifica, California
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.-Overview:The City of Pacifica is spread along a six mile stretch of the north central California coastal beach and hills, nestled in several small valleys spanning between...
. It first inhabited by the Ohlone
Ohlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
indigenous people, then later claimed by Spanish settlers and Mexican ranchers.
History
In 1942 the U.S. Army started construction of Battery #244 on top of Milagra Ridge, which was called Milagra Ridge Military Reservation at the time. The battery had two 6 inch (15 cm) T2M1 guns mounted on a shielded long-range Barbette M4 platform. This battery, along with similar fortifications in San Francisco, Angel IslandAngel Island, California
Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that offers expansive views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin County Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park, and is administered by California State Parks. It has been used for a variety of...
and the Marin Headlands
Marin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, was part of a defense network that protected San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. It was decommissioned in 1950.
In 1954 Nike missile site SF-51L was built here and was decommissioned in 1974 and turned over to the city of Pacifica
Pacifica, California
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.-Overview:The City of Pacifica is spread along a six mile stretch of the north central California coastal beach and hills, nestled in several small valleys spanning between...
. In the mid-1960s, Pacifica considered utilizing the WW-II era Battery 244 casemate (bunker) as their police station, but in 1969, a different location was chosen. However, Pacifica Police Department and other
city municipal agencies did use the bunker for records storage. In April 1971, someone broke into the bunker and set the records on fire. Shortly afterward, Pacifica stopped using the bunker.
In 1984 the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
acquired Milagra Ridge and made it a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
. Community based volunteer efforts have successfully improved the habitat of the Mission Blue and San Bruno elfin
San Bruno elfin butterfly
The San Bruno elfin butterfly is a U.S. Federally listed endangered subspecies which inhabits rocky outcrops and cliffs in coastal scrub on the San Francisco peninsula, endemic to this habitat in California...
butterflies, the San Francisco garter snake and the California red-legged frog, all of which are endangered or threatened species. Today, it is a protected area and is open for hiking. In the late Spring, the area provides thousands of tiny wild coast strawberries interspersed with poison oak.
Milagra Ridge is home to a USGS seismometer that is very close to the city of San Francisco and provides nearly-real-time data to the public.