The schools in Moraga are some of the best in the State. The elementary, middle and high schools consistently rank near the top in test scores. Since all grade levels of school are located just minutes apart, students within the Moraga system have the benefit of a close-knit community.
Moraga offers a unique blending of fine residential areas, two neighborhood shopping centers, and open hillsides where cattle graze and horses are pastured. There is no industry. Ninety percent of Moraga's residents are corporate executives who commune to the major business centers of the Bay Area. A variety of local parks are available in town with the historic Redwood Regional Park just minutes away. The park was originally part of the former land grant El Rancho de Los Palos Colorados where trees from the original redwood forest were used by ship captains in the 1800s to navigate into San Francisco Bay. The park's 1,836 acres feature miles of hiking and equestrian trials among 150-foot Redwood groves, other evergreens, chaparral and grasslands. Wildlife within the park includes rare species such as the golden eagle and Alameda striped racer snake. Deer, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels are often seen. Redwood Creek, which runs through the park, also has a place in history. The world-famous rainbow trout were first identified as a distinct species from specimens caught in San Leandro Creek, of which Redwood Creek is a tributary. The excitement of San Francisco, the cool waters of the Sacramento Delta and the natural beauty of the Lake Tahoe area are all within an easy drive. The Town of Moraga is named for Joaquin Moraga, the grandson of Joseph Joaquin Moraga who was second in command of the Anza expedition of 1776, the founder of San Francisco, Mission Dolores and the founder and first commandant of the Presidio. The original land grant, known as Rancho Laguna De Los Palos Colorados (Ranch Of The Lake Of The Redwoods), included parts of Orinda and Lafayette and the communities of Canyon, Redwood, Rheem, and Moraga. Joaquin Moraga built an adobe on a hill overlooking the Moraga Valley in 1841. The adobe home still stands on a knoll in Orinda above Miramonte High School with a poplar tree-lined driveway going up to the house. It was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1954. It is probably the oldest existing building in Contra Costa County. |