I've been spending a lot of time in Pacifica lately with clients who had been looking for, and have now just closed, on a new home there. Everytime I go, I am reminded about how much I love it: the water, the mountains, the community. Driving down Highway 1 as the Pacific Ocean appears suddenly around a curve still makes me tingle.
All of this time there also reminded me of one of my all-time favorite hikes, the Montara Mountain Trail in Linda Mar. The gorgeous weather last weekend inspired me to dust off my hiking shoes and hit the trail again.
While I'm told there are other points of entry to get to the trail, I park at the San Pedro Valley Park entrance off of Oddstad Blvd. There's plenty of parking, a restroom, picnic tables, and barbeques that are great for a pre- or post-hike cookout.
The trail itself is a series of switchbacks of varying lengths and elevations that wind along the mountain. At first, the trail takes you through a forest of mostly eucalyptus trees that provide you with a good amount of shade (and that eucaplytus aroma). The further you go up there's less shade but the views get more and more spectacular! As you ascend, the Pacific Ocean greets you on one side of the trail, while the gorgeous, lush green canyons of the mountain are on your other side. Soon the eucalyptus trees give way to sturdier trees shrubs and flowers. On a foggy day, it can be quite windy up there but the manzanita trees survive just fine. At certain points on the trail you are surrounded by them. Occasionally, you'll see a rabbit scamper across the trail. And you will definitely spot scat (animal droppings), though I've never had an encounter with any other wild animal up there.
The trail is incredibly well maintained, and there's a park bench (like in the photo above) about every 3/4 miles or so if you want to take a rest. Some are worth stopping at just for the views. It's usually not very crowded, but you will pass other hikers on your ascent or decent. Personally I find this comforting as a solo hiker. I don't feel completely alone up there, while I also get that feeling of solitude that draws me to hiking on my own.
While the trail is mostly wide, there are places where it narrows. The Parks Department does a great job of keeping a very clear trail path, installing steps in some places where you have to hike over large bolders, and excellent signage. As you get closer to the summit there are large rocks and bolders.
It's about a 2 1/2 mile trek to the top of the trail, but you can either continue up the access road, where you'll reach some communication towers about a mile later. Or you can continue on to Montara beach, making the hike about 7 miles. So far I've only hiked up to the communication towers, but perhaps one day will attempt to make it all the way to the beach.
San Pedro Valley Park is a great option if you're looknig for a day-cation from the City but don't want to go too far. If a 5+ mile hike is not your thing, then consider the Brooks Creek Trail, also accessible from here. Only one mile and a much flatter walk, it leads to some beautiful waterfalls. Or just grab a picnic table or lay out your blanket and enjoy a day of sunsine and rest.
When I'm not off hiking the trails of the Bay Area you can find me helping my clients buy or sell their homes. If you are considering buying or selling a home, give me a call!
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