Pedro Point Loop Hike

Located between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, Pedro Point is a 255-acre gem that has been hidden in a dusty attic for years but is now being cleaned up and restored. A playground for off-road motorcycles since the 1960s, the area was taken over by the Pacifica Land Trust in 1995. Hundreds of volunteers have contributed to the ongoing efforts to restore the area with native plants, stop the ongoing erosion, and make the area's trails more user- and environmentally-friendly.

But the work-in-process state of the park shouldn’t be a deterrent to making it a hiking destination--far from it. There is a manageable trail network (though steep in places), decent parking at the recently-completed Devil’s Slide Trail parking area nearby, and the views are spectacular (when the fog isn’t too thick to see them!)

A decent loop can be hiked starting at the parking lot and heading back north along the highway and up into the preserve. There is a trail junction a short way up the steep trail: the Arroyo Trail goes to the right, and the South Ridge Trail heads to the left. Taking either fork will lead to a junction with the Bluff Trail, which climbs up to an overlook on Pedro Summit. The Arroyo Trail winds through eucalyptus groves and a mixed pine/cypress forest with no views for most of the way, while the South Ridge Trail has great views, so some may choose to go up and back along the high route and skip the loop. Either way, this hike is a rewarding one and rarely visited for a site so close to San Francisco.