Discovered Pescadero Marsh Preserve today and wow! There are four trails in the marsh: Butano…read moreTrail, Round Hill Trail, North Pond Trail, and Sequoia Audubon Trail. Such a beautiful, peaceful walk!

Don't Marsh my Mellow…read more Update July 2025: the main Sequoia Audibon Trail is currently closed for construction until (allegedly) Oct 2025. There's a website to track the construction if you're interested: https://www.sanmateorcd.org/project/pescadero-marsh-habitat-restoration-and-resiliency-project/ In the meantime all the other trails are open and hikeable but be aware none of them actually connect and are all out-and-backs: 1) Butano Trail: access by parking in dirt lot on Pescadero Road. Put in 1958 Pescadero Creek Rd into your GPS. 2) Round Hill Trail: access at the end of Water Ln, by the park offices. 3) North Pond Trail: Access by parking at the north end of Pescadero Beach, and then you'll have to high-tail it across the PCH to get there. Normally, this Trail connects to the aforementioned Audibon Trail, but not with the current construction. Put in 18253 Cabrillo Hwy into your GPS for the parking lot.

If you're looking for a place to escape civilization while still being in close proximity to a…read moremajor city, do yourself a favor and check out "Pigeon Point Light Station - State Historic Park". Located at the coastal beach town of Pescadero, this is directly off of the Pacific Coast Highway while being about 30 minutes south of Half Moon Bay and roughly an hour south of San Francisco. I have not been here since I was a kid so being able to make a triumphant return was a pretty special experience to me. I came here with my lady during the afternoon on Saturday 9/5/2026 at around 3:00pm. There is a dedicated parking lot that is adjacent to the front entrance area as well as a few public restrooms also near the parking area. If you plan on seeing amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, normal park hours are from 8am-sunset. What really makes this place special is that they offer several buildings (open to the public) every Thursday through Sunday from 10am-4pm. This includes the Fog Signal Building, a gift shop store, an oil bunker, and keepers' cottages. Many of these buildings are preserved and have a very rustic beach feel to it. The main focal point here is the Pigeon Point Lighthouse which stands at an impressive 150-feet and is one of the tallest lighthouses in America. There are also several areas where you can birdwatch, enjoy lunch at one of their picnic tables, and even a small public beach that is only a short 300-ft walk from the parking lot. One other thing that really fascinated us was the "HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel". This is where you have the option of booking a dorm (with strangers) or reserving a private room (that can comfortably sleep either 3, 5, or 12 guests) on any given night. All in all, the "Pigeon Point Light Station - State Historic Park" is a spot worth checking out. Even though you're in the Bay Area in San Mateo County, being here feels like you're in a whole different world. I plan on someday booking a stay at the hostel to truly get a feel of what this place is all about. When you factor in the million-dollar views combined with a ton of sites that can wow any mariner or history buff, this place has it all. With that said and done, I am giving this amazing landmark a unanimous five-star rating.

This light house station is a cool place to stop and get out to stretch when traveling along…read morehighway 1. You can wonder around the lighthouse, other artifacts and some great views here at this beautiful spot on the ocean. Be sure to walk to the end of the property behind the out buildings. There's a deck there so you can sit and breath in the fresh air. Along with some whale bones to check out. This is also a hostel where you can spend the night. But you need to make reservations in advance. The bathrooms leave alot to be desired. I'd only use them out of desperation...

I went there for part of the day and saw a dense redwood forest and fairly shady and a stream There…read moreare a couple of trails as you walk on the main road and I had no problem parking

Planned out a day trip including a stop at Pescadero first followed by a hike at Butano State Park…read more The park itself is quite small and cozy and it's easy to see why it's often referred to as one of the least known California State Parks, because you really do have to make an effort to come here. That being said, the road to the park is quite well paved and there should be no trouble accessing it. We unfortunately visited the park during one of the controlled burns. I would not recommend visiting at those times because the smell of smoke lingers for quite some time even though we visited over a week after the burn ended. There was even one area of the park that was still smoking. It's also sad to see the extensive damage from the CZU fire that ripped through this area back in 2020. But overall there are still tons of beautiful redwoods and the trails are well maintained. Also not many people visit this park so you'll have plenty of peace and quiet on the trails!

Ok, so technically this is the Cascade Ranch Unit of the Ano Nuevo State Reserve, but this inland…read moresection is worlds away from the main coastal unit a few miles south (famous for its seal colony). It's actually like a lesser-known version of Butano State Park a few miles north. Actually I think lesser-known would be an understatement. I know it's a cliche to say you don't want to review a place and give it away, but I actually felt that way about Cascade Ranch. However, I don't think obscure, hour-away hiking trails have much to worry about from Yelp fame, at least for now. The only road in is the unpaved, unmarked Whitehouse Canyon Road, just a couple hundred yards south of Rossi Road on the 1. You follow it in about 2 miles over the coastal savannah, finally entering a narrow, dark, and verdant canyon where you come to a pullout. From here, there's a single trail that climbs up a steep hillside through a very primeval redwood forest, finally reaching a ridgetop vista point after a mile or so, with a fantastic view of the coast stretching from Ano Nuevo to Pigeon Point Lighthouse. From here you can also hike into Big Basin and connect with the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail. Anyway, words don't do it justice, so I'll just refer you to the bahiker.com description and the photos. It's quite a short hike, though, and a long way from SF, so you might want to combine it with a visit to Ano Nuevo proper or Santa Cruz or something.

Legendary Bay Area ex-Yelper, Wes M. was certainly right about the Cascade Ranch Unit, and about…read moreWhitehouse Ridge Trail, in particular: it's a secluded hiking spot with truly enjoyable vistas once you reach the top. Starting from the canyon trailhead - located a few miles down an unsigned and bumpy dirt road off of Highway One - it's a short ascent of 1.5 miles to the top. The trail doesn't have a lot of signs, and you need to pay attention at the start to follow it right across a small creek before beginning the series of switchbacks that will eventually take you to the intersection of Chalks Road. Make a left at the road and follow the well-graded fire trail to the summit of Chalk Mountain where 360 degree views await. It's a pretty spectacular, if understated, place. Once the trail leaves the shade of the redwoods, the ridges are exposed fully to the elements, so it will get hot and windy, but that's part of the experience. On a clear day, you can see the Pigeon Point lighthouse, Butano Ridge, Big Basin, Ano Neuvo island, and even the peak of Montara Mountain far to the North. At around 1600 feet mere miles from the elephant seals and remote beaches near Gazos Creek, it's one of the best ocean panoramas I've encountered along the San Mateo county coast - probably the best between Montara and Big Sur, I'd say (although Irish Ridge in Purisima Redwoods Creek OSP would also get a vote, though it's not a full 360). And Chalk Mountain summit seems hardly ever to be visited. Or yelped about, for that matter. It's not a terribly long hike, if you don't get lost, leaving time to explore the beaches nearby and from there to speed home on the coastal highway. On our return, we had tacos (al pastor, fish, carnitas) and cerveza at the Mercado gas station/taqueria in Pescadero, which is always a treat even without all the fancy Harley Davidsons and Ducatis parked nearby. Not a bad way to spend the weekend, if you're up for a little adventure.

Such a cool neighborhood park with 3 different sets of slides and some shade. One set of slides is…read morea long run, old school metal with several dips and generally there is cardboard at the bottom you can use to help you get more lift. There is a kiddie playground, too. And there is a basketball half court. Benches and picnic tables for snacks. Nice views of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the distance.

A beautiful spot to sit in the shade and read, shoot hoops,or just gaze at the Boardwalk and ocean…read more Street parking only (including two handicapped spots), so try to come on a weekday. Several benches, but we take our folding chairs. Bring the dog -- they can be unleashed in part of the park. A functional restroom with two unisex stalls near the entrance -- an outside sink and soap dispenser complete the facility. I'm experiencing a profound sense of peace, despite the occasional screams from people on the rides at the Boardwalk.

We came camping here at the end of August and had an amazing experience!…read more The campground is beautiful, surrounded by huge redwood trees. It was cool and comfortable, not too hot or too cold, and surprisingly there were not many mosquitoes. It is especially great for kids to ride bikes. There were kids biking everywhere, and there is also a creek where they can play. There are plenty of restrooms, and they were very clean. Showers are also available. Firewood is sold at the entrance for $9 a bundle. There is no cell service inside the park, but WiFi is available at the visitor center. They also have weekend activities for kids, including crafts and movies. Highly recommend!

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

Great spot to stop and watch the sunset. You can either walk a trail up a small hill to get a…read morebeautiful view of the ocean, or walk down a short path to an area with picnic tables and viewing binoculars. Very clean and we felt safe.

Deep New Sea…read more ±4.2k-acre state park and beach, that's located almost equidistant from Half Moon Bay (±32min drive) to the north and Santa Cruz (±26min drive) to the south. It is probably the preeminent place*** to see a pinniped rookery (i.e., elephant seals) in the state, as they accumulate here by the thousands** every winter to breed. The Good: *Tours available to get you as close as possible to the Elephant Seals and are REQUIRED btwn mid-Dec to the end of March. *April to early December you can visit the park without a reservation but the number of elephant seals will be drastically reduced and certain areas will be off‐limits without a docent. *We've done the tour here around three times and the docents are always fantastic and full of great info. *Nice visitor and marine education center you check into at the beginning of the tour with restrooms, displays, and some CA park swag to purchase. *Even if you're not here for the elephant seals, the ocean views are worth the drive alone in the off-season. *Picnic tables by the VC *Trails are a nice gentle four-mile round-trip The Meh: *No dogs allowed *No bikes *$10 entrance fee *Tickets are $10.99/adults ($7 + $3.99 processing fee) and nonrefundable *The area around Año Nuevo is very desolate, and there's not much around in terms of food, so bring a snack or picnic lunch with you so you're not starving by the end of the three hour tour. A three hour tour... The Ugly: *You'll definitely need to plan well in advance if you want to have a weekend tour during the breeding season. Don't think you can just book one the week of--you pretty much need to book in October when they release the tickets for sale, even as far away as March! Weekday availability is pretty good throughout the year, though, for obvious reasons. Conclusion: Fantastic place to get your learn on, enjoy some nature, and get in a few steps while you're at it. **Some years there could be up-to 10k elephant seals! ***Also, check out the Elephant Seal Vista Point in San Simeon (near Hearst Castle)

This is a great park for all ages. My two year enjoys going from the younger side to the older age…read moreside. If you go in the morning, the slides might be wet so bring a towel just in case. There's a basketball court and a tennis/pickle ball court too. There's picnic tables under an overhead for sitting or lunch.

From tennis/pickle ball courts to playgrounds to lots of sidewalks and grass, Sunrise Park has a…read morelot to offer for everyone! I appreciate how walkable it is and how safe it feels. Also added bonus that people seem to clean up after their dogs, which isn't always the case at other parks. There are always families and people of all ages enjoying it. The parking is abundant so you never have to worry about looking. This park has something for everyone :) If they added more tennis courts, it would be a 5! They only have two, and they are often taken.

We really enjoyed this hike at Purisima Creek Redwoods. We started at the North Ridge parking area…read moreand followed North Ridge Trail Whittemore Gulch Trail Harkins Ridge Trail, returning to the same parking area. The entire loop ended up being around 6.5-7 miles. About 75% of the hike was shaded, much of it through beautiful redwood forest, with a small creek alongside portions of the trail. There are also some more exposed sections with great views. Be prepared for the elevation changes! The extended downhill sections are harder on the legs and knees than you might expect, and the return on Harkins Ridge is a long, sustained and quite strenuous uphill climb. It was probably one of the more strenuous hikes I've done in California in many years. That said, it was absolutely worth it. Beautiful scenery, lots of shade, peaceful forest, and a great workout. I'd definitely do this loop again -- I'd just be mentally prepared for that climb back to the parking lot!

I think my mainest girl is trying to eliminate me. I don't know why, but she thinks I love taking…read morelong arduous hikes through the woods and huffing and puffing through beautiful scenery. Levity aside, this is a stunningly beautiful park to commune with nature. But be warned, if you're a novice (me), don't have broken in hiking shoes (me) or could be in better shape (also me), it will be challenging. Steep inclines and declines are the order of the day. Also plenty of banana slugs. The park is beautiful, the silence is eerily beautiful, and you will enjoy all of it.

Wow! We went to Leo's Haven at Chanticleer Park and it's amazing. I wish this park was closer to…read morehome. It was just built in 2020 so everything is in great condition. It was built in partnership with Shane's Inspiration (if you've been to Griffith Park, it's the same organization). So, many of the park features are universally accessible. The playground area is spacious and a wonderful safe space for children. There are some climbing areas and slides for toddler age but the larger playground is great for preschool-elementary age. There isn't a ton of shade so bring hats and sunscreen! There are some benches scattered around the park and a few tables outside of the gated area. There is a private lot and street parking. They have bathrooms and they are fairly clean!

Nice popular park , plenty of restroom and a community garden. They even have a water refilling…read morestation . The play ground it huge and a cute theme too