Tag Archives: Pacifica

Montara Mountain

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Montara Mountain is a 1898 foot coastal mountain that looms just south of Pacifica. If you’re lucky you can get above the fog by hiking up to the top. Montara has its own climate with and stunning views of the coast.

There’s several ways up but we started at San Pedro Valley Park and followed the Montara trail up through the invasive Eucalyptus trees into the native scrub and oaks where the trail finally deadends on a fire road. Take a left on the fire road and head up to the top. It’s about an 8 mile round trip.

In August you’ll find tons of huckleberries to snack on.
Near the top of the mountain above the fog.
There’s granite rock formations on Montara and a rare manzanita that grows only on the mountain. Here’s an interesting story about the granite that once was connected to the Sierra Nevada.
Green Leaf Beetles ( Trirhabda flavolimbata) a skeletonizing leaf beetle on coyote bush

Hiking Mori Point in Pacifica

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Mori Point is a 110 acre park in Pacifica, just south of the Pacifica municipal pier. It’s a 15 minute drive from San Francisco and it’s an easy 3.2 mile hike that’s not crowded, especially during the week. Start the hike at the parking lot; note that it’s a small lot, so you may have to park along the street. Take the Northwest trail and follow it up 298 feet then curve around and head out to a  the bluff overlooking the Pacific.

The view from Mori Point

Bicolored lupine (Lupinus bicolor) in the foreground and California goldfields (Lasthenia californica) at Mori Point last week.

There’s great views on the bluff. It’s amazing at sunset, in the winter you can see whales. In April and May the bluff is covered with wildflowers. I met a friend there last week and the bluff was covered with California Goldfields (Lasthenia californica)

Check it out before they’re gone.

A molting Redtail hawk takes off at Mori Point.