Topher Simon
permitted in trail camps. trail in permitted
water is available at trail camps. Backpack stoves are are stoves Backpack camps. trail at available is water
who register with the ranger at Memorial Park. No No Park. Memorial at ranger the with register who snakes, and banana slugs. banana and snakes,
available for a fee on a drop-in basis for backpackers backpackers for basis drop-in a on fee a for available woodpeckers, Steller’s jays, garter snakes, gopher gopher snakes, garter jays, Steller’s woodpeckers,
hikes passing through multiple parks. multiple through passing hikes
Trail camps camps Trail at Shaw Flat and Tarwater Flat are are Flat Tarwater and Flat Shaw at tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, foxes, bobcats, bobcats, foxes, opossums, raccoons, deer, tailed
State Park, offering the opportunity for several long long several for opportunity the offering Park, State
Common wildlife in Sam McDonald includes black- includes McDonald Sam in wildlife Common Trailheads.
The trail network also connects to Big Basin Redwoods Redwoods Basin Big to connects also network trail The
State Park, and at the Old Haul Road and Tarwater Tarwater and Road Haul Old the at and Park, State
leaf maple, and oak trees. oak and maple, leaf
a number of trails with Portola Redwoods State Park Park State Redwoods Portola with trails of number a
Ranger Station, Portola Trailhead, Portola Redwoods Redwoods Portola Trailhead, Portola Station, Ranger
Douglas fir, madrone, California laurel, buckeye, big big buckeye, laurel, California madrone, fir, Douglas
Pescadero Creek Park shares its eastern boundary and and boundary eastern its shares Park Creek Pescadero
inter-park trail network trail inter-park from the Sam McDonald McDonald Sam the from The forests, dominated by coast redwood, also include include also redwood, coast by dominated forests, The
rugged beauty offers a true escape. true a offers beauty rugged
cyclists, and equestrians can access an extensive an access can equestrians and cyclists,
monkeyflower, wood rose, and sun cup. sun and rose, wood monkeyflower,
This park has the County system’s only trail camps. Its Its camps. trail only system’s County the has park This This park is largely undeveloped wilderness. Hikers, Hikers, wilderness. undeveloped largely is park This
each spring with colorful wildflowers such as sticky sticky as such wildflowers colorful with spring each
Activities and facilities and Activities road, Old Haul Road, which crosses the Park. Park. the crosses which Road, Haul Old road,
elevations; the higher-elevation knolls are covered covered are knolls higher-elevation the elevations;
camp store camp
(open seasonally) offers offers seasonally) (open a entrance,
for hikers and equestrians. Cyclists may use a service service a use may Cyclists equestrians. and hikers for
and other shade-loving plants are found in the lower lower the in found are plants shade-loving other and
picnicking and youth group activities. Near the park park the Near activities. group youth and picnicking
largest park. Its wilderness includes miles of trails trails of miles includes wilderness Its park. largest
and the occasional coyote and mountain lion. lion. mountain and coyote occasional the and Much of Sam McDonald Park is very steep. Ferns Ferns steep. very is Park McDonald Sam of Much
Memorial County Park is open year-round for camping, camping, for year-round open is Park County Memorial
With 5,700 acres, Pescadero is by far the County’s County’s the far by is Pescadero acres, 5,700 With
are black-tailed deer, raccoons, western gray squirrels, squirrels, gray western raccoons, deer, black-tailed are Natural features Natural
wonderful panoramic views. panoramic wonderful
Pescadero Creek County Park County Creek Pescadero secretive seabird, nests in the Park. More easily seen seen easily More Park. the in nests seabird, secretive
area. The western loop of the Pomponio Trail provides provides Trail Pomponio the of loop western The area.
The endangered marbled murrelet, a small and and small a murrelet, marbled endangered The
37-acre preserve of old-growth redwood forest. redwood old-growth of preserve 37-acre a short interpretive loop through the Park’s northern northern Park’s the through loop interpretive short a
has a small run of endangered Coho salmon. Coho endangered of run small a has
Adjacent to McDonald, Heritage Grove is a stunning stunning a is Grove Heritage McDonald, to Adjacent habitats. The self-guided Mt. Ellen Nature Trail offers offers Trail Nature Ellen Mt. self-guided The habitats.
habitat for endangered steelhead; Pescadero Creek also also Creek Pescadero steelhead; endangered for habitat
off of Alpine Road, accessible from Pescadero Road. Pescadero from accessible Road, Alpine of off
trails lead through a diversity of of diversity a through lead hiking of Miles
camps, an equestrian camp, and a hiker’s hut. hiker’s a and camp, equestrian an camps,
Pescadero and Alpine Creeks both provide spawning spawning provide both Creeks Alpine and Pescadero can also be admired from vehicles in the parking lot lot parking the in vehicles from admired be also can
Activities and facilities and Activities Ocean. The Park, some 850 acres, includes youth youth includes acres, 850 some Park, The Ocean.
connects with other trails in the complex. The Grove Grove The complex. the in trails other with connects
Jones Gulch Creek, staining the rocks. rocks. the staining Creek, Gulch Jones redwood forests and a ridge with vistas of the Pacific Pacific the of vistas with ridge a and forests redwood
the redwoods. Heritage Grove Trail, open only to hikers, hikers, to only open Trail, Grove Heritage redwoods. the
Crude oil pools up in Tarwater Creek and seeps into into seeps and Creek Tarwater in up pools oil Crude
Sam McDonald County Park offers magnificent magnificent offers Park County McDonald Sam
raccoons, skunks, and banana slugs. banana and skunks, raccoons,
trails Grove Heritage winds through through winds of network a , In The Park sits atop a deposit of oil and natural gas. gas. natural and oil of deposit a atop sits Park The
Heritage Grove Heritage jays, acorn woodpeckers, western gray squirrels, squirrels, gray western woodpeckers, acorn jays,
visit www.SMCoParks.org. visit
live oak, and knobcone pine. knobcone and oak, live
Wildlife often sighted in the Park includes Steller’s Steller’s includes Park the in sighted often Wildlife
Park County McDonald Sam
reservations for these camps, call 650-363-4021 or or 650-363-4021 call camps, these for California laurel, big leaf maple, canyon live oak, coast coast oak, live canyon maple, leaf big laurel, California
of creeks within the Park provide riparian habitat. riparian provide Park the within creeks of
To make make To Camp Horse Brook Jack (seasonally). (seasonally). the Cruz cypress, California wax myrtle, tanoak, madrone, madrone, tanoak, myrtle, wax California cypress, Cruz
redwood sorrel, horsetail, and wildflowers. A number number A wildflowers. and horsetail, sorrel, redwood
youth camps youth or or several of any reserve may Groups of trees including coast redwood, Douglas fir, Santa Santa fir, Douglas redwood, coast including trees of
forests, with a lush understory of huckleberry, ferns, ferns, huckleberry, of understory lush a with forests,
Pescadero Creek County Park includes a diversity diversity a includes Park County Creek Pescadero
call 650-363-4021. call the Sierra Club at 650-390-8411 x393. 650-390-8411 at Club Sierra the
This park is primarily magnificent coast redwood redwood coast magnificent primarily is park This
To make reservations make To , visit www.SMCoParks.org or or www.SMCoParks.org visit , Natural features Natural
Hikers’ Hut Hikers’ may be reserved by calling calling by reserved be may Club Sierra The
Natural features Natural
available by reservation. by available hour to a full day. full a to hour
group camping sites camping group picnic group that are are that and Jack Yaco as
McDonald Park, offering a range of hikes from one one from hikes of range a offering Park, McDonald
servicemen who died in World War I. I. War World in died who servicemen
drop-in picnic sites, picnic drop-in as well well as includes also Memorial trails meander through Sam Sam through meander of miles Several
oldest park. It is dedicated to the San Mateo County County Mateo San the to dedicated is It park. oldest
Activities and facilities and Activities recreational vehicles vehicles recreational up to 35’ in length (no hook-ups). (no length in 35’ to up
Acquired by the County in 1924, this is the system’s system’s the is this 1924, in County the by Acquired
as a limited number of sites that can accommodate accommodate can that sites of number limited a as
group camps, a visitor center, and 499 acres to explore. to acres 499 and center, visitor a camps, group
restrooms, water, and coin-operated showers, as well well as showers, coin-operated and water, restrooms,
largest redwoods. redwoods. largest
generations. This popular park has trails, campsites, campsites, trails, has park popular This generations.
redwood campsites redwood
with with many offers Park The
are considered to be among the Santa Cruz Mountain’s Mountain’s Cruz Santa the among be to considered are
Park have been favorite camping grounds for for grounds camping favorite been have Park
old-growth coast redwoods. The grove includes what what includes grove The redwoods. coast old-growth walks. naturalist and programs,
The old-growth redwood forests of Memorial County County Memorial of forests redwood old-growth The
campfire programs campfire an opportunity to experience the stunning beauty of of beauty stunning the experience to opportunity an nature , current for kiosks park
Memorial County Park County Memorial
Located on Alpine Creek, Heritage Grove offers visitors visitors offers Grove Heritage Creek, Alpine on Located Check firewood. and groceries, supplies, camping
Pescadero Creek Pescadero Creek Park Complex Park Complex Pescadero Creek Park Complex This vast park complex of 7,086 acres includes 9500 Pescadero Creek Road, Loma Mar, CA 94021 Memorial County Park, Sam McDonald County Park, Memorial Park Headquarters 650-879-0238 Memorial Heritage Grove, and Pescadero Creek County Park. The Police, Fire, or Medical Emergency 911 Sam McDonald Memorial Park ranger station serves as headquarters for all four of these parks. Pescadero Located in southern San Mateo County, the Pescadero San Mateo County Parks complex includes some of the Santa Cruz Mountain’s San Mateo County Parks most stunning redwood forests. The parks offer plenty Reservations 650-363-4021 of campsites and an extensive trail network, and are General information 650-363-4020 favorites with campers, hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. www.SMCoParks.org These parks are contiguous with Portola Redwoods State
Park, and easily accessible from Highways 1 or 84. Yaco Jack The Department manages parks, trails, and historic sites to preserve public lands and provide opportunities for education and recreation. The system’s 18 parks, regional, county, and local trails, and two historic sites are located throughout the Park hours and use Trails County and encompass nearly 16,000 acres. Hours The parks open at 8am. Closing time changes Mt. Ellen Nature Trail 1.0 mile from Memorial seasonally, and is posted. The parks represent our region’s wondrously diverse Mt. Ellen Summit Trail 1.6 miles from Memorial natural settings, from rugged tidepools, lush mountain Pets Pets are not allowed in the parks. Shaw Flat Trail Camp 2.5 miles from Hoffman trailhead forests, and remote campsites to Bayfront shoreline, Fires Barbeques are allowed only in barbeque pits Forest Loop Trail 2.5 miles from McDonald sunny picnic areas, and popular playgrounds. using charcoal; no portable barbeques. Ridge Loop Trail 3.0 miles from McDonald The Department sells annual passes, offering Campers receive campfire instructions upon Pomponio Trail 3.2 miles from Memorial unlimited entrances to all County Parks for a year. entering Memorial Park. Smoking No smoking in County Parks, on trails, or at Heritage Grove Trail 4.0 miles round-trip from McDonald Support your parks historical sites. Pomponio Trail 5.1 miles from Pescadero You can volunteer to help rangers protect and Please protect the parks’ natural environment and do not Tarwater Flat Trail Camp 5.3 miles from Hoffman trailhead improve parklands and serve park visitors. disturb or remove any plants or animals. Brook Trail Loop 8.4 miles from Sam McDonald The San Mateo County Parks Foundation raises Butano Ridge Trail Loop 13.0 miles from Hoffman trailhead funds to improve the quality of County Parks for our Hikers, runners, bicyclists, and equestrians share these community. For information, visit www.SupportParks.org. trails. Please be alert and courteous to all The Volunteer Horse Patrol (650-368-8200) promotes trail users. protection and enjoyment of these parks. Always yield to equestrians by stepping to the edge of the path. Bicyclists always yield to other trail users.
Jack Yaco Jack Weather conditions may cause seasonal trail closures. For more trail information and routes, visit www.SMCoParks.org. San Mateo County Parks Wild places & friendly spaces Wild places & friendly spaces
C Printed on recycled paper October 2011 La
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Pomponio Trail to La Honda and 84 1.9 Mt. Ellen Summit P Mt. Ellen es 680' 0.4 ca Sam McDonald Summit de 800 Memorial Park ro Trail 0.3 Roa Mt. E 0.4 d 800 rail lle to San McDonald Park, water tank T n County Park La Honda, and
0.1 0.1 S 0.2 84 Mt. 0.4 um 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 mile Ellen m i Modoc
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T re Park r s a t 800 0.3 entrance d i L l o d a s a rail* A 250' o o o T p R R
T o P r Tan Oak Flat ra e 0.2 o ad Picnic Area r il 0.4 sc Cr e Ri ee d e P B 0.2 W k dge Maintenance 0.3 rail a P u Huckleberry Flat T c 0.3 r yard r s 1.3 T e r Picnic Area rail l A Bay Tree Flat i a o T R P lp 0.2 i ine d r a o l 645' Roa e Campground r Heritage Grove P a reek d Sequoia Flat T Park entrance C Creek d e Trailhead a n c Campground P an Oak i s T lp e Legion F lat to Pescadero P A P P 600' Picnic A rea Creek County to Memorial Park C 0.3 0.13 Creek r Park and Pescadero H 200 C r erit r 0.1 u P ag T e ee W 0.3 P D owne G
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e 980' 0.1 k 800 *Creek Trail is closed in winter between the stream 0.6 Trail 1100' crossing and Huckleberry Flat due to high water. Loop Hikers’ Hut 1000 Brook 1240' 10/14/11