Hazelnut
Trail,
San Pedro Valley Park,
San Mateo County Parks,
San Mateo County
In brief:
4.2 mile loop is the longest hike within the park, and is a good tour through
San Pedro's varied vegetation.
Getting there:
From CA 1 in Pacifica (San Mateo County), turn east at Linda Mar Boulevard. Drive
east on Linda Mar about 2 miles to the end of the road, then turn right on Oddstad
and almost immediately make a left into the park.
Trailhead details:
Once past the entrance kiosk, bear right and park in the lot. $5 entrance fee
(self-register is kiosk is unattended). Maps available at the trailhead information
signboard. Wheelchair accessible restrooms and drinking water at edge of parking
lot. Several designated handicapped parking spots, and some trails are wheelchair
accessible. SamTrans bus #14 stops at Linda Mar and Oddstad, and you can walk
into the park from there visit the Transit
Info website for details..
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phone, restaurants, and stores back near Highway 1 on Linda Mar. No camping.
Rules:
Bikes are permitted on only one trail. Some trails are designated hiking only,
and a few allow equestrians. No dogs. Park is open from 8 a.m. to about sunset
(hours vary seasonally).
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 4.3 mile loop hike is easy, with about 900 feet in elevation
change. Trailhead elevation is about 200 feet, and the high point is about 1030
feet.
The Official Story:
SMCP's
San Pedro page.
Park headquarters 650-355-8289
Map Choices/More Info:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there
• Hiking, Bicycling, and Equestrian Trail Map of Pacifica and Trails
of the Coastside and Northern Peninsula are the best map guides to the park
(available from Pease Press).
• Map
from CSMP
• 
A hike through San
Pedro to the top of Montara Mountain is mapped and descriped in 60 Hikes within
60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this
website). Order
this book from Amazon.com.
• Peninsula Trails, by Jean Rusmore, has a simple map and trail descriptions
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
• Tom Taber's The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Book has a simple map
and park descriptions (order
this book from Amazon.com).
• Read more about other Bay Area Hiker loops at
San Pedro.
• View photos from this hike.
Hazelnut Trail, at 3.3 miles,
is the longest path in San Pedro Valley Park. Designed with plenty of switchbacks,
the aptly named trail climbs through chaparral and permits sweeping views of the
rest of the park, Sweeney Ridge, the ocean, and Montara Mountain. The hiking and
equestrian trail makes a nice, easy loop when combined with Weiler Ranch Road
and Plaskon Nature Trail.
Start at the information signboard near
the start of Plaskon Nature Trail. Cross the bridge and walk about 90 feet
on Plaskon Ridge Trail, then turn right at the signed junction with Hazelnut
Trail.
The hiking and equestrian trail begins under cover
of a particularly large and lovely coast live oak. In spring, you may see trillium
and forget-me-nots. Hazelnut Trail soon leaves the woods and begins an ascent
through grassy chaparral. Poison oak is everywhere, and is particularly obvious
in autumn and early spring, when the leaves are red-tinged. A few madrones and
coast live oak persist, but gradually the trail makes a transition into more shrubby
vegetation. 
Creambush,
coyote brush, huckleberry, hazelnut, ceanothus, chinquapin, toyon, California
coffeeberry, elderberry, and manzanita line the narrow path. You might see vetch
and hound's tongue in early spring. As you climb you'll have views, initially
of Weiler Ranch Road and the valley, then followed by glimpses of Sweeney Ridge
and Montara Mountain. Cow parsnip crowds the trail in spring, and hedge nettle,
hound's tongue, starflower, iris, false Solomon's seal, and trillium bloom in
the shady spots. Blue witch nightshade, thimbleberry, currant, yerba santa, and
pitcher sage also make occasional appearances. Hazelnut Trail passes through a
eucalyptus grove, resumes a climb through chaparral, bisects a second eucalyptus
forest, and again emerges in chaparral. You might see mission bells in early spring,
in bloom along with thimbleberry, and ceanothus. Manzanitas, which start flowering
at San Pedro around Christmas, will already have berries developing by winter's
end. The trail is rutted and tough to walk in some stretches
. A series of switchbacks will lead you to a bench with a view back down to Hazelnut
Trail, and up to Montara Mountain. Thick hedges of huckleberry tower over the
trail on the right, and on the right you might see the last blossoms on currant
bushes in early spring. As Hazelnut Trail heads east, Sweeney Ridge is visible
on a clear day. The trail starts to descend on switchbacks, with the same familiar
chaparral plants lining the trail. Poison oak, which had abated for a while, returns
with a vengeance. Hazelnut shrubs are common, although you might not notice them
in the winter when they ditch their leaves. Weiler Ranch Road comes back into
view. On a hot day, a bench under some chinquapin is a perfectly shaded rest spot.
You may see milkmaids, paintbrush, and manroot blooming in spring. At 3.37 miles,
Hazelnut Trail ends at Weiler Ranch Road. Turn left.
Flat Weiler Ranch Road, open to hikers, equestrians,
and cyclists,
runs along the Middle Fork of San Pedro Creek. This wide trail is popular with
parents pushing strollers and kids learning to ride bicycles. Dogwood thrives
near the waterway. After crossing a bridge, Weiler Ranch Road follows the contour
of the valley floor, where deer are commonly spotted. At 3.62 miles, Weiler Ranch
Road meets Valley View Trail at a signed junction. Continue straight on Weiler
Ranch Road.
As you draw near the park's border, Weiler Ranch
Road splits. Either leg is a option, I took the path to the left (if you stay
to the right, you'll pass the other end of Valley View Trail; turn left and head
roughly west). After crossing the creek again, you'll pass two reservable group
picnic areas and some restrooms. Weiler Ranch Road ends at the edge of the parking
lot, at 4.16 miles. Turn left and walk on the sidewalk a few feet, then turn
left on Plaskon Nature Trail.
A bridge crosses the South Fork of San Pedro Creek,
where salmon may be spotted spawning after heavy winter rains. Willow, and dogwood,
as well as coast live oak, shade the path. At 4.24 miles, you'll reach a previously
encountered junction with Hazelnut Trail. Continue on Plaskon Nature Trail
to the trailhead.
Total distance: 4.26 miles
Last hiked: Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
is the longest path in San Pedro Valley Park. Designed with plenty of switchbacks,
the aptly named trail climbs through chaparral and permits sweeping views of the
rest of the park, Sweeney Ridge, the ocean, and Montara Mountain. The hiking and
equestrian trail makes a nice, easy loop when combined with Weiler Ranch Road
and Plaskon Nature Trail. 
Creambush,
coyote brush, huckleberry, hazelnut, ceanothus, chinquapin, toyon, California
coffeeberry, elderberry, and manzanita line the narrow path. You might see vetch
and hound's tongue in early spring. As you climb you'll have views, initially
of Weiler Ranch Road and the valley, then followed by glimpses of Sweeney Ridge
and Montara Mountain. Cow parsnip crowds the trail in spring, and hedge nettle,
hound's tongue, starflower, iris, false Solomon's seal, and trillium bloom in
the shady spots. Blue witch nightshade, thimbleberry, currant, yerba santa, and
pitcher sage also make occasional appearances. Hazelnut Trail passes through a
eucalyptus grove, resumes a climb through chaparral, bisects a second eucalyptus
forest, and again emerges in chaparral. You might see mission bells in early spring,
in bloom along with thimbleberry, and ceanothus. Manzanitas, which start flowering
at San Pedro around Christmas, will already have berries developing by winter's
end. The trail is rutted and tough to walk in some stretches
. A series of switchbacks will lead you to a bench with a view back down to Hazelnut
Trail, and up to Montara Mountain. Thick hedges of huckleberry tower over the
trail on the right, and on the right you might see the last blossoms on currant
bushes in early spring. As Hazelnut Trail heads east, Sweeney Ridge is visible
on a clear day. The trail starts to descend on switchbacks, with the same familiar
chaparral plants lining the trail. Poison oak, which had abated for a while, returns
with a vengeance. Hazelnut shrubs are common, although you might not notice them
in the winter when they ditch their leaves. Weiler Ranch Road comes back into
view. On a hot day, a bench under some chinquapin is a perfectly shaded rest spot.
You may see milkmaids, paintbrush, and manroot blooming in spring. At 3.37 miles,
Hazelnut Trail ends at Weiler Ranch Road. Turn left.
runs along the Middle Fork of San Pedro Creek. This wide trail is popular with
parents pushing strollers and kids learning to ride bicycles. Dogwood thrives
near the waterway. After crossing a bridge, Weiler Ranch Road follows the contour
of the valley floor, where deer are commonly spotted. At 3.62 miles, Weiler Ranch
Road meets Valley View Trail at a signed junction. Continue straight on Weiler
Ranch Road.