Pescadero
Marsh Natural Preserve,
California State Parks,
San Mateo County
In brief:
1.4 mile out and back through Pescadero Marsh.
Getting there:
From CA 1 in San Mateo County, south of Half Moon Bay and CA 84, turn west into
the Pescadero Beach parking lot -- driving south it's the second parking lot,
just after the bridge (if you get to Pescadero Road you've gone too far). Driving
north it's 0.3 mile north of Pescadero Road.
Trailhead details:
No parking or entrance fees. 30 spots in a paved lot, with 1 designated handicapped
spot. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access to the marsh. No drinking water
or maps. There is one pit toilet at the parking lot. There is no public transportation
to the preserve.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, restaurants, and pay phone a few miles east in Pescadero. Duarte's
is a great choice for a casual lunch (their soups are great), or pick up a loaf
of artichoke bread and picnic fixings at Arcangeli
Grocery. No camping.
Rules:
Hiking only. No dogs on the trail (ok on leash on the beach).
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.4 mile out and back hike is very easy, although trail surfaces
can be uneven, and part of this hike is through loose sand.
The Official Story:
CSP's Pescadero
Marsh page
Map choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Tom Taber's Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Book (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map.
• Peninsula Trails, by Jean Rusmore, (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and descriptions of the preserve
and trails.
• 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area, by Ann
Marie Brown (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and featured hike.
View
photos from this hike.
Pescadero Marsh 
drifts
east from a typically gorgeous San Mateo County beach, spreading out from the
shores of Pescadero Creek. Three separate, not contiguous trails depart from four
trailheads: one at the northernmost Pescadero Beach parking lot, one from the
middle beach parking lot, and two from small dirt lots on Pescadero Road. All
the trails are short, and you could easily take a complete tour through the marsh
in one visit. An alternative is to combine a hike on Sequoia Audubon Trail, in
the middle of the marsh, with a picnic and walk along the beach.
I like to start hikes at the middle Pescadero Beach
parking lot trailhead, which provides convoluted but safe access to the heart
of the marsh, an excellent bird-watching zone. This easy out-and-back hike nicely
combines a trudge through loose sand and an easy walk through Pescadero Marsh.
Bird-watching at Pescadero Marsh
perhaps reaches its zenith in winter, but spring and summer feature a broad spectrum
of wildflowers, and warm beach-friendly temperatures. When I visited in late July
there was so much vegetation choking Sequoia Nature Trail that I had to turn back
before the end of the trail.
Start at the south end of the parking lot.
Follow a sign pointing down a short flight of steps to "beach and marsh
access." When you reach Highway 1, turn left and walk along the road,
thankfully buffered by a guardrail. You'll cross Pescadero Creek on a bridge,
and at 0.19 mile, turn left, descend a few steps, and reach the beach.
A trail sign points south, so walk to the left through the sand, then
cross under the highway bridge.
Driftwood is spread throughout the sand along the north
shore of Pescadero Creek, and it's hard to locate the 
route.
Look for a distant trail sign to the east, at the edge of the vegetation, and
make your way to it. The signed hiking only Sequoia Audubon Trail winds through
a mix of coastal plants, including beach primrose, buckwheat, sea fig, and yellow
bush lupine. At 0.45 mile, the trail forks at an undersigned junction. Bear
left. The narrow trail keeps a level course along a slight levee. Mustard,
wild radish, paintbrush, Nutall's milkvetch, yarrow, and lizardtail all bloom
along the path well into summer months. At 0.50 mile, North Pond Trail departs
over a walkway to the left, marked by a signpost. Continue straight on Sequoia
Audubon Trail.
A guidewire provides some assistance navigating
a badly eroded section over a small arm of the creek, where you might see ducks.
Blackberry, thistles, dock, coffeeberry, and poison hemlock crowd the trail. At
0.70 mile, a eucalyptus sprawls like an octopus, off the right side of the trail.
When I visited in July 2002, the trail was not passable after this point -- if
it is clear you can continue another 1/2 mile or so to the end of the trail. This
was the turnaround point for my hike. Be sure to take a moment and gaze north
to a heron rookery tree in the eucalyptus grove just north of the marsh. With
binoculars you might see great blue herons and great egrets, typically nesting
from March to July. When you're ready, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: 1.40 miles (if trail is passable, about
2.4 miles)
Last hiked: Monday, July 29, 2002
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
drifts
east from a typically gorgeous San Mateo County beach, spreading out from the
shores of Pescadero Creek. Three separate, not contiguous trails depart from four
trailheads: one at the northernmost Pescadero Beach parking lot, one from the
middle beach parking lot, and two from small dirt lots on Pescadero Road. All
the trails are short, and you could easily take a complete tour through the marsh
in one visit. An alternative is to combine a hike on Sequoia Audubon Trail, in
the middle of the marsh, with a picnic and walk along the beach. 
perhaps reaches its zenith in winter, but spring and summer feature a broad spectrum
of wildflowers, and warm beach-friendly temperatures. When I visited in late July
there was so much vegetation choking Sequoia Nature Trail that I had to turn back
before the end of the trail. 
route.
Look for a distant trail sign to the east, at the edge of the vegetation, and
make your way to it. The signed hiking only Sequoia Audubon Trail winds through
a mix of coastal plants, including beach primrose, buckwheat, sea fig, and yellow
bush lupine. At 0.45 mile, the trail forks at an undersigned junction. Bear
left. The narrow trail keeps a level course along a slight levee. Mustard,
wild radish, paintbrush, Nutall's milkvetch, yarrow, and lizardtail all bloom
along the path well into summer months. At 0.50 mile, North Pond Trail departs
over a walkway to the left, marked by a signpost. Continue straight on Sequoia
Audubon Trail.