San Francisquito Creek: The other side of the Creek

Editor’s note:

“The Other Side Of The Creek,” will appear monthly on InMenlo. It is designed to capture the life and spirit of the shared landmark that separates Menlo Park from more southern communities.

“We invite readers to submit ideas that celebrate those communities within one mile of the Creek, including East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford. Send to tips@InMenlo.com.”

To launch this series, we start with the Creek! The San Francisquito Creek is a central and defining feature of the Mid-Peninsula. More than just a waterway, it serves as a natural boundary, separating Palo Alto from Menlo Park and East Palo Alto as it flows from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the San Francisco Bay. Its short journey is a remarkable story of history, ecology, and human collaboration.

The creek’s path is deeply intertwined with the region’s past, serving for millennia as a vital
resource for the indigenous Ohlone people. It also holds a special place in the area’s modern
history, as the landmark redwood tree, El Palo Alto, on its bank gave the city its name, and its flow helped define the campus of Stanford University. The “San Francisquito Creek” is a diminutive of “San Francisco”, which translates to “Little Saint Francis.” (The creek was named by explorers from the Portolá expedition in the late 18th century).

Despite its scenic beauty, the creek has a history of severe flooding, most notably the
destructive event in 1998. The creek sits on a geological feature called an alluvial fan, which
gives it a natural tendency to overtop its banks. Decades of urbanization, which covered the
land with concrete and asphalt, have also increased the speed and volume of stormwater
runoff. This crisis was a turning point, forcing the communities it divides to come together to manage a shared challenge and is today overseen by the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority.

The creek’s banks are a haven for native vegetation, providing a vital riparian habitat in a
dense urban environment. This verdant corridor is a mosaic of life, with towering Coast live
oaks providing a canopy that shades the creek and its trails. The streambanks are thick with
arroyo willows, cottonwoods, and California buckeye trees, creating a layered ecosystem that is rich with biodiversity.

From west to east, heading towards the Bay, here are the major bridges and other
crossings:

●The Ohlone-Menlo Bridge: This is a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle bridge that
provides a quiet crossing for walkers and cyclists, connecting Menlo Park’s San Mateo
Drive to the Palo Alto side near Stanford.

●The Alma Street Bridge: Another bicycle and pedestrian bridge, this one runs near the
railroad tracks and provides a crucial crossing for non-vehicle traffic.

●Caltrain Railroad Bridge: This is the rail bridge that carries the Caltrain commuter
service across the creek, connecting the Peninsula’s cities.

●The Pope-Chaucer Bridge: A critical automobile crossing, this bridge connects Pope
Street in Menlo Park to Chaucer Street in Palo Alto. This has been a major focus of
flood control projects due to its historical tendency to act as a choke point for the
creek.

●Middlefield Road Bridge: This is a well-traveled automobile bridge that connects the
main arteries of both cities.

●El Camino Real Bridge: One of the busiest crossings, this is a major thoroughfare for
vehicles.

●Highway 101 Bridge: The final major crossing before the creek widens into the
Baylands, this massive bridge carries the highway over the waterway.

Photos by Robb Most (c) 2025