Amazing place to visit that I wish fewer people visited these days. This has been one of my goto…read morebeaches for about 16 years now and there was never much human traffic here until recent years. These days there is more human traffic due to the pandemic and everyone adventuring locally & finding things to do. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the views/nature. You can hike the trails, climbs the hills or just walk the beach in either direction. I generally come early morning and stay til the clouds and slight fog disappear as the day goes on. People generally come the later in the day it gets...but I wouldn't say this is the sun bathing type of beach, although ppl do lay out and get sun here. I prefer the cooler weather & breeze of this place when the clouds are out. Nothings but cheers for this Gem of a beach.

My wife and I have been a few times. The first time she was very nervous because she isn't a…read moreskinny Barbie. She is 5'3", on the thick side with natural 38DDDs....bald all over. But within 10 minutes of our first time there, she felt 100% comfortable. A lot of men were coming up and talking to her/us but they were all respectful and asked first before they came to sit and join us for a chat. For those that don't know, this is a nude beach. It is 100% normal for men to be walking around "at attention." Again, my wife felt totally comfortable.

Visited Skyline on a Saturday in July at 9am! Decided to do the Horseshoe lake, Alpine pond, and…read moreBorel Hill trail counterclockwise and the parking lot was right by the trailhead. Trail was well-maintained and there were markers throughout. Didn't encounter too many other people. Nice views of the Bay Area - the park is high up so it was cool being above the clouds! Took me about 2 hours and 30 min to finish and I would say the hike was easy-moderate! The roads leading up to the park are a bit windy so just be mindful of that. Would recommend to those looking for beginner friendly hikes!

This is a great space for stargazing and panaromic views of the bay area. I wish the drive to get…read morethere wasn't as hard as it is.

Great spot for camping overnight! There's a two night minimum on holiday weekend. Otherwise one…read morenight is fine for regular weekends. The highway to get there (from sf and Redwood City) is really curvy and nauseous! Better if coming from pescadero Site A is louder but close to Wi-Fi. Site C and D is pretty peacefully quiet. C22 and C33 were spacious Super clean for a camp. Restrooms and showers are pretty good condition and not smelly, pay $0.50 for a shower. Restroom buildings are super brightly lit for safety and navigation in the dark. However light sleepers may find it too bright and should bring sleeping masks if you're near one of these buildings. Firewood $9 a bundle at front ranger kiosk. The lighter and less dense the better it burns Bring bug spray. Bees, mosquitos at night, flies. Other fun finds: banana slug and Rollie polly. Squirrels will steal your food if you leave unattended Amphitheater shows kids movies at night in summer! Kung fu panda the night I went

For our annual family camping trip, we switched up our usual favorites (Russian Gulch,…read moreMacKerricher) to try Memorial County Park, a spot a close friend has raved about for 30 years. We are so happy with our decision!The Pros:Amazing Staff: Tyler greeted us warmly and gave great information.Clean & Maintained: Campsites were pristine, bathrooms were clean, and the hot water in the showers was a huge plus (just bring your own towel).Kid-Friendly Nature: Surrounded by stunning redwoods, the kids loved spotting banana slugs, filling out nature activity guides, and wading in the clean creek.Great Atmosphere: It was wonderful seeing so many kids on bikes and scooters. There is no WiFi/cell service, which was a fantastic excuse to unplug (though you can get a signal at the learning center if needed). Since there were no weekday camp programs, we made our own fun playing charades at the amphitheater.The Cons:No Fire Ring: Our site in the Azalea loop didn't have one, which disappointed the grandkids. Luckily, the neighboring site was empty so we "borrowed" theirs.Departure Encounter: We had a brief interaction with a rude employee on our way out, which was a bummer after such a great trip.Overall, it was an excellent experience and we will definitely return!

Beautiful fall colors…read more Wonderful little walk through the very quiet forest Different types of mushrooms everywhere! Banana slugs!

Sam McDonald Park was such a pleasant surprise! I loved the variety of trails and the peaceful,…read moreremote feel of the area. Parking was easy, though it's tucked away enough that you could easily pass by if you don't know it's there. Does have restrooms. Overall, a beautiful spot--I really enjoyed my time here!

Super cute playground. Plenty of parking when I went over the weekend and not many people around…read more The kids loved climbing and running around and it's gated too. Has baby swings and the little cabin was fun to play in. The bathroom is right next to it and had a clean changing table

One of the most interesting hikes I've been on in the South Bay!…read more We took a random hike on a Sunday afternoon, and it actually wasn't too crowded in the lot or on the trail. There's a number of different types of trails you can go on. It fascinated me how it alternated between a regular trail, to smoother hills, to a bit of a rocky climb. I would definitely recommend stopping by, especially for the gorgeous views!

Have long eyed the Castle Rock State Park and glad we finally went! The park charges a nominal…read moreparking fee ($10 at time of writing); the parking fee is waived if you have one of the supported passes. Check their site for more info: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=538# We really enjoyed our hike here. The space is beautiful, and the trails are well-maintained. The trailhead had plenty restrooms as well. We made it up to Goat Rock Lookout, back down, then detour to the waterfall. It took ~1.5 hours in total, which was perfect for a end-of-day hike before the park closes at sunset. The view up at Goat Rock Lookout was breathtaking!

Redwoods hike in the rain. We were in a cabin in the area and went out in a short window when the…read morerain wasn't so bad. The good thing about coming in the rain is no one else is around, we were the only ones on the windy roads and the only ones here. We did the bridge trail since the Tarwater trail was closed, wanted the kids to see the natural tar in the water and know why you shouldn't drink too much of the water from this area. The stream is full and alive during the rain and even the drive to here and back was epic. We came for redwoods and water but if you go on certain trails you can see the abandoned cabin and an old industrial water tank. There are amazing views of clouds and trees mixed together during this season. We stopped many times to take pictures of all this. We didn't see any animals because of the rain but the kids enjoyed seeing the different mushrooms, ferns along the creek, and looking for four leaf clovers.

Love this park! So glad San Mateo county parks used Pescadero Creek as part of the 2024 Take a…read morehike challenge. We've been back twice since going for the first time in February or March. Beautiful redwoods throughout the park. We tried the Pomponio trail; unfortunately all bridges over the creek are washed out so we weren't able to complete the loop trail. Regardless, hiking here is wonderful. Lots of banana slugs, a few cool spider webs, but still no elusive newts although I know they're there. We'll try the Pomponio trail again later this year once the creek flow has significantly reduced. Park at Memorial park, use the bathroom before (and after) starting, then walk about 5 minutes to the Old Haul Road trailhead

Another place checked off in my peninsula sightseeing spots. Been wanting to come here for a while…read moreand last week I was able to come out here on a Saturday morning around 8 AM and was able to enjoy this place all to myself. I've been in this area along Skegss point and have never seen it but after hearing about it and do some research it's literally just right off the road. I was actually disappointed I didn't have to walk or hike, but in the end it was a quick simple skip Across the highway and maybe 50 steps and you're there. You have to step down a few stairs but overall that's all it is. This tree is really huge and tall with a beautiful base and a few burls. Some healthy branches and greenery as you look up towards the sky underneath the canopy of other pines. I was able to adore and admire this tree for a good 15-20 minutes without any other people around took a few nice pictures proceeded on my way out to hike the local Corte Madera hike just a mile down the street. Now, many of you have may know there is another Methusalah tree in eastern Sierras at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White mountains of Inyo County. That one is still on my list to go find which I hope will be one day soon. Whether you're a local or tourist and in the area, this place is recommended to come or a pitstop along your way down towards Santa Cruz on Highway 35.

You have got to see the methuselah tree which is over 1800 years old! I'm in awe of gigantic…read moretrees! It is only 45 to 60 minutes south of San Francisco, right above the skyline just west of Woodside, CA. Methuselah is conveniently located just a short walk off of Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) 3.3 miles north of Sky Londa and Alice's Restaurant and 0.5 miles south of the Caltrans' Skeggs Vista Point. The closest parking is across the road at El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve. Be careful crossing the road as cars can come around the corner quickly. Methuselah will be visible from the road. Pass through the gate and follow the trail to the base of the tree. Methuselah is a massive old-growth redwood and it is the oldest and largest living tree in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a trip to see the methuselah. You won't be disappointed!