Morrison Canyon Road has served the public for nearly 150 years, first dedicated for public use in 1878 and later incorporated into the city of Fremont’s jurisdiction in 1956. It is the only public access route to the scenic Vargas Plateau, a treasured natural area southeast of the renowned Vargas Plateau Regional Park.
Generations of Fremont residents have walked, cycled and ridden horses along this historic corridor, and the area’s open grasslands offer some of the finest bird-watching and wildlife viewing in the region, including the rare opportunity to observe a free-ranging buffalo herd.
That access was abruptly threatened in October 2025, when the Alameda County Board of Supervisors allowed a private landowner to erect a gate and fence blocking 1,000 feet of the road, notwithstanding that the right of way falls within the city of Fremont’s jurisdiction. The city acted swiftly and correctly, issuing a Notice and Order to Abate Nuisance demanding removal of the obstruction.
The landowners appealed, but on April 18, 2026, the hearing officer upheld the city’s abatement order, a decision which confirms that the gate unlawfully obstructs a public right of way within Fremont city limits in violation of the Fremont Municipal Code. The landowners have been ordered to remove the obstruction and restore trail access by May 2026.
Mission Peak Conservancy applauds the city of Fremont, its staff and city council for acting decisively to defend public access to this irreplaceable open space. Fremont has a proud legacy of protecting the natural lands that border our community, from the 1981 Hillside Initiative (Measure A) to the 2000 Measure T toe-of-the-hill open space protections. Morrison Canyon Road and the Vargas Plateau are part of this legacy.
However, the legal battle may not be over. The parties have 90 days from the April 18 decision to seek superior court review. We urge all Fremont residents who cherish our open spaces to stay informed and to speak out in defense of our public recreational trails. When private interests attempt to close off lands the public has used for generations, we must stand together to keep them open.
Wm. Yragui
Mission Peak Conservancy
