Moon Northern California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown

Author:Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalon Publishing
Published: 2020-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

74 MORI POINT TRAIL

2.5 mi/1.5 hr

in Pacifica near Pacifica State Beach/Linda Mar

Map 7.2

At Mori Point, all you need is a clear day. Your reward is big-time coastal views, a long expanse of beach, and a pretty walk. Mori Point is a dramatic coastal outcrop in Pacifica that is sometimes overlooked. On this route, you get access to extended beach frontage, a walk that starts out dead flat, with the option to climb to hilltop lookouts and bluff-top cliffs. Nearby is the best fishing pier on the Bay Area coast, Pacifica Pier, and adjacent is the Laguna Salada, a freshwater lagoon tucked on the edge of the Sharp Park Golf Course.

On the drive in, there isn’t a sign on Highway 1 that says “Mori Point,” so outside of locals and overnighters at the local hotels, it can get overlooked. From the trailhead at the corner of Beach Road and Clarendon, you walk south, with a dark-sand beach on your right, the golf course on your left, for about 0.7 mile. It’s flat and pretty, with beach access all the way. For many, this is plenty. For others more ambitious, continue on.

The walk then turns into a short, steep hike that climbs to a coastal ridge. A matrix of trails from other trailheads converge on top. Most venture to the edge of the oceanfront cliffs; if you have young kids, keep them on a leash. You can explore to the top of the ridge for dramatic views. You can see north past Mussel Rock and along the San Francisco coast to the Cliff House, and beyond to the curving Point Reyes waterfront.

User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.

Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.

Maps: For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Montara Mountain.

Directions: From San Francisco, take I-280 South to Daly City to the exit for Highway 1/Pacifica. Bear right at the exit from Highway 1 and drive 3.7 miles into Pacifica and to Exit 506 (toward Paloma Avenue/Francisco Boulevard). Take that exit and continue south 0.2 mile to Paloma Avenue. Turn right on Paloma and drive 0.2 mile to Beach Boulevard. Turn left on Beach and go 0.5 mile (you will pass Pacifica Pier on right) to parking on right and trailhead ahead at corner of Beach and Clarendon Road.

Access points and trailheads to the park are also available at Bradford Way, Mori Point Road, and the end of Fairway Drive.

Contact: Mori Point, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Presidio Visitors Center, 415/561-4323, www.nps.gov/prsf; Pacifica Visitors Center, 650/355-4122, www.pacificachamber.com.

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