This has got to be one of my favorites trials/ hikes in Pacifica so far! The weather was beautiful…read morewhen we went and a majority of the trails are quite wide so it doesn't feel crowded. The trails vary in difficulty and steepness, but the views are beautiful all around. Parking is very limited and there was a bit of traffic due to the one lane road, but it was worth it. After your hike you can talk a walk or picnic on the beach and drive down to one of the nearby restaurants.

Mori Point is absolutely amazing on a clear warm day...which is not that common in Pacifica. Hence…read morethe missing star... Not to mention the arduous task of dealing with parking when one does stumble upon that perfect day. I would still bring a light jacket if you think you will still be here around sunset. The coastal breeze brings a nice chill in the evening no matter how warm the day is. The hiking trail is not hard at all, perhaps a bit challenging for some older folks or someone very out of shape. "Located on a promontory just south of the city of Pacifica, the 110 acres of Mori Point are one of the newest additions to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. High up above the cold waves, the site boasts sweeping views from Point Reyes all the way to Pedro Point. It protrudes several hundred feet out into the Pacific and is plainly visible from any high point in the City of Pacifica." - https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/moripoint.htm I feel like a cheat; cut and paste...lol. Then again, I didn't know all this information about Mori Point. I didn't pay attention and actually thouth it was called Maori point and was somehow related to the Maori folks from the land of the long white cloud (aka New Zealand). "Restoration activities have helped the area recover from invasive species infestation and centuries of use by humans. In the 1700s, the Spanish mined a nearby limestone quarry to supply whitewash for San Francisco's Presidio buildings. An Italian immigrant, Stefano Mori, purchased 19 acres of farmland here in 1888. Mori built a guesthouse/restaurant, the Mori Point Inn, which developed a notorious reputation during the Prohibition days and was operated by the family until the 1940s. Mori Point was a site of gravel and sand extraction during World War II; quarrying and later off-road vehicle use left the landscape scarred. In 2000, with the help of the Pacifica Land Trust, the Coastal Conservancy, and concerned community members, Mori Point was purchased by the Trust for Public Land and added to the Golden Gate National Parks." - https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/mori-point History "For nearly a century, Mori Point served as a haven for settlers, travelers, boot-leggers and diners. Today, after a generation of development battles, this spectacular place serves as a haven for walkers and wildlife and is a link to national parklands on Sweeney Ridge and Milagra Ridge along the San Mateo coast." - https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/moripoint.htm " * The terrain here is varied; walks around Mori Point range from a level and easy 0.5-mile stroll to a steep and challenging 1.5-mile hike. * Beautiful wildflower blooms are at their peak in the springtime, with the most flowers usually present in April and May. * Parking is available on Mori Point Road or Bradford Way. * Walk to the tip of the promontory for stunning views; it's quite windy on the bluffs so dress accordingly. * Stroll down to Laguna Salada and listen for the croaking of the red-legged frog. * Walk barefoot on the black sands of Sharp Park Beach. * During WWII, workers used a pulley system of long cables attached to cement anchors to pull buckets of sand ashore. Several of these crumbling blocks remain on the western hillside." ~ "Tips and Highlights" - https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/mori-point Wish I had read this before. Some good tips and helpful information

Very cute little water fall. Emphasize on the little. It is a nice beach to picnic at, chill, read…read morea book, etc. Pro Tip: Walk all the way to the left side of the beach & away from the hotels, during low tide you can find sea animals! Please pack in and pack out. Protect our beaches

For an impressive waterfall it's pretty mid. But the area around has some trails with nice views of…read morethe ocean and beyond. Yelpers have mentioned the trail to the waterfall starts where Westline Dr. and Skyline Dr. meet. From here it's fairly intuitive on where to go. I felt the trail down to the falls seemed too steep to attempt so I opted out. I'm not sure if it was better a few years ago but when I went it felt dangerous and easy to lose footing. I wouldn't recommend this part for someone hiking alone, with kids, or with inexperienced hikers. The trail continues in the other direction along Westline Avenue with views of the ocean. If you continue you can see the top of the waterfall from here. You have to walk a little off the main trail in the ice plant but it's worth it if you want to see the falls. Another way is you can see this waterfall is by walking from Esplanade Beach. From the top of the stairs there the waterfall is about .6 miles. It's so much easier to get to this way and it's a nice beach walk. From here you can't see the waterfall as clear because there is a lot of debris in the way. In this sense it's almost a better view from above. The waterfall comes out of a storm drain which isn't as nice and only flows after a big rain. I wouldn't come out of my way to see this waterfall. But I think it's worth coming to see if you are already at Esplanade Beach or live in the neighborhood and are walking the trail alongside Westline Dr. From the start point to the beach and back it's about a 3.4 mile hike.

Don't go here! Here are some of the reasons the crowds should stay away from Esplanade Beach…read more The entrance to the beach is in a quiet neighborhood that isn't too busy. There's a walkway along the cliffs overlooking the beach, but the entrance itself is super close no matter where you park. There are doggy bags and a trash can at the top. They even added two new gardens and benches. Talk about overdoing it, Esplanade. Now you're just showing off. The switchbacks getting down have eroded over the years and the dirt path has gotten packed down and steeper, but there's ropes alongside to hold onto. Play it safe much? The stretch of beach is long for your doggies to run off leash with enough space away from others. Owners are so responsible and call their dogs back if they run to you. Pfft who wants that? At the top are sunsets so amazing you'll waste away your whole day out there! You might even miss work or your dinner plans, watching the whales that are often seen here. Not to mention, if you take pictures, your beautiful pics might just blow up your life in popularity. Too many likes and followers! So yeah, you won't want to come here. Try an already crowded beach instead. Thank you.

Lots of street parking along the road/beach. However, some areas are under construction and there…read moreare many overnight campers parked everywhere. High cliffs and break-taking views. The trail atop the cliffs only goes so far and will weave through a small community. The "ramp" down the the beach is quite steep and uneven. The air smelled of decaying seaweed. Parts of the cliffside have fallen down the hill and thus so, some areas are fenced off.

Will be back for more detailed …read more This was Saturday morning. We arrived at 10 am with a grotto of 10 . It was freezing cod and extremely windy , therefore, big waves in the ocean . There were already a few people there and they caught some crabs already . ....

Unfortunately the pier is closed but the pelicans, comorants, seagulls etc. Are still there. The…read morepast several weeks whales, mostly humpbacks are around n doing flapping, head spying n breaching a lot in the area, so go n see real live whales in the wild. Apparently dolphins are around too. Great sunsets ate happening around 7:45pm. There is an easy walk along the beach n if you're really want a hike, go towards the. Golf course. Beautiful scenery n calming sounds of the ocean. It's wonderful that we have the ocean so close by, we're darn lucky ! If you want to see a bit of town go towards rock by beach, shops n dining t here. Pacifica is a great coastal town

Beautiful beach Trail for hiking to see whales…read more This time of the year there are lots of wildflowers to explore and enjoy Most of these flowers are protected by the Park folks Get to see amazing sunsets Family and dog friendly

Crashing waves, Whales and pelicans flying in formation. They have been doing maintenance work on…read more the path, trees and removing dead snags- that's great.

Beautiful beach to visit and spend the afternoon . Lots of space and dog friendly!!!!read more

Where is everybody? Lots to see walking around even a golf course on the other side. First time…read morehere and lucky to see whales. Free parking!

This is less of a park and more of hiking/waking trails but there are a few picnic benches in the…read moreparking lot that overlook the ocean. There's a decent amount of parking in the lot, much better space than nearby Thornton Beach and parking along the street coming in. I like this hike because it's not too long or not too short. The ocean is always in the background and it's a nice ocean walk without having to get sand in your shoes from the beach. I think there is a technical way to get down to the beach, but you have to climb down numerous rocks, and it didn't seem the safest. The southernmost end where you are at the actual Mussel Rock seemed a bit easier and there was a cool looking beach cave, but this would only be possible to get there in low tide. The walk is a little over 2 miles. If I wanted to go for a walk along a beach or go on a serious hike there are better places in Pacifica for that but I like it here to just get out for a walk and see the ocean.

Wow - finding places like this really inspire me to find new trails and hikes in the Bay Area…read more The views along the coastal bluffs were just so breathtaking . The trails are family friendly - mild incline, wide and safe. That being said , we had a blast climbing down the rocky cliff to go down to the small beach . I'm not an expert on tides and sea life - but when we went there were just shelves and shelves of mussels that people were picking into buckets . We also saw tons of juicy sea anemones . Another stranger showed us all the crabs he had fished out ! Super fun spot for a lovely beautiful easy (but possibly chilly) walk or adventure on the mini beach ! Dog friendly !

There are a few entrances, but I think the most popular one is on Sneath Lane. This trail is paved…read moreand pretty steady and not too difficult for about a mile but then gets a bit steeper for the next mile to the top. On the way up you can see views of the San Andreas Reservoir Lake. After the rain you can hear the water flowing and see some little streams and wild mushrooms. To the ridge is a little under 2 miles. I like the fact there is a small bathroom which I find quite rare on trails like this. To the left is the San Francisco Discovery Site which has a plaque with some information. Apparently, this was the place the Spanish settlers first saw the San Francisco Bay. To the right the trail goes along the ridge to the remains of the old Nike missile site. The views are stellar, and one can see for miles on end, Marin, the city, Pacifica Mount Diablo, etc. I love watching all the planes coming in and out from nearby SFO. From Sneath the hike is about 5 miles and 2 hrs. I've also gone the Mori Trail route which is nice because it's not paved but this trail is steeper. It's worth checking out the funky Shelldance Orchid Gardens which is located at the trailhead but they are only open on the weekends.

This is a nice enough spot to go for a hike. It was easy to find my way to the Sneath Lane Trail…read moreParking using google maps, a small lot within a residential neighborhood, that fits about 10-15 vehicles. It was foggy, cold, and incredibly windy during my visit last week, and of course, there's an incline as the trail wraps around the mountain. But it wasn't too bad, the actual climb up didn't feel as difficult as it looked from a distance, starting with the sneath lane trail then connecting to other trails higher up. In fact, there are many options for different trails to take. The Baquiano Trail had a dirt pathway while the Notch Trail toward the Nike Missile Control Site was paved. Near the SF Bay Discovery Site, there's a small restroom building (it was pretty clean for a park facility, on a Thursday afternoon). The gorgeous foliage lining the various paths was captivating, along with lovely views of the hills, lake (san andreas reservoir), and sunlit scenery in the distance. Too foggy to enjoy the views the higher you get though, just a giant cloud of fog everywhere. I barely made it three miles out before turning back. It was just far too windy and foggy to wanna be out there very long (I'm sure hot days would be even worse with zero shade to be found). Plus my legs definitely had a workout from the uphill trek. Luckily the jog back down was a breeze. And I did slow down to appreciate the vegetation and vast array of plant species, once again, before leaving.

Truly a glorious park! I cannot count the amount of times I have ran, hiked, and biked thru this…read moretrail. It's so cool! There's wildlife, a bathroom, trash cans, 360 degree views of the peninsula canyons & limited parking. So you can be sure it will never be over crowded. Just make sure to be courteous to your fellow parkers so that no one walks away with dings or dents on their vehicles. There's always an option to park across Sharp Park road in the neighborhood, or hike up from Talbot avenue/ Connemara if you're feeling like extra elevation gain. I highly recommend this park, and I also highly recommend that folks keep their dogs on leash here. There is wildlife that could attack your pet, also there's bicycles that ride through here. So unless your animal has grade A recall, keep them leashed. I'm looking at you, small dog owners! Hope you enjoyed reading and enjoy your hike/bike!

I wouldn't really call this a hike because it's so easy and short. Not much parking either…read more Fairly flat on the main trail with slight incline but not for long. There are restrooms and trash cans along the main trail. Dogs are allowed. Nice walk if you have a dog.

Booked a lesson in a week, spent 2 hours on the road and got nothing : no one showed up for the…read morelesson. Not a text, not an email that it was canceled. Just that, just ignore. Next business day I get an email saying "we are sorry you were at the wrong place and the wrong time", which is a lie. They said they ordered the refund - will see how it goes. Found another surf school down there, will go with them next time. Ruined experience

Super nice crew! We rented wet suits and body boards for the day. They explained the whole process…read moreto my sister and I being first timers finding the perfect size suit for us. You didn't make us feel dumb for not knowing and I really appreciate that. Thank you for the good experience!