Why San Gregorio Ranch Was Worth Saving

Last April, we shared some exciting news: POST was under contract to acquire San Gregorio Ranch, a 238-acre stretch of bluffs, beach, and coastal grassland where Highway 1 meets Highway 84. Opportunities to permanently protect a coastal property of this size and significance are exceptionally rare. Furthermore, until this year, the property remained privately owned, and its future was uncertain. When San Gregorio Ranch became available, we knew it was a chance we couldn’t afford to miss.

Today, I’m delighted to share that the purchase is complete. San Gregorio Ranch is now permanently protected from development, ensuring this remarkable landscape will be stewarded for generations to come. And, as of late July, its beloved half-mile beach is once again open to the public.

Why This Work Matters

Projects like this remind me that conservation is nuanced work. It takes partnerships, patience, and a long-term commitment to caring for the land so it remains healthy, accessible, and resilient for generations. San Gregorio Ranch embodies those values, bringing together iconic scenery, thriving wildlife habitat, public coastal access, and the opportunity to eventually close a key gap in the California Coastal Trail.

A Landscape with a Storied Past

Anyone who has pulled off Highway 1 at the top of these bluffs knows why San Gregorio Ranch is such a gem. It has some of the most sweeping ocean views on the San Mateo coast and has long been a beloved public beach. But its value extends far beyond the scenery. This is a place where loved ones have forged lasting memories, where generations have come to experience California’s rugged coastline, and where an important chapter of Bay Area LGBTQ+ history unfolded. It’s a landscape rich in both natural and cultural heritage, making its permanent protection all the more meaningful.

A Place Where Nature Thrives

At POST, we believe people are part of an interconnected web of life, and that biodiversity makes both ecosystems and communities stronger. San Gregorio Ranch, with its incredible mosaic of habitats, embodies that idea. Among its sandy shoreline grows one of the region’s largest stands of native American dune grass (Elymus mollis), with deep roots that help stabilize the coast against erosion. Likewise, it provides habitat for California kingsnake, California red-legged frog, acorn woodpecker, American badger, and California quail.

Here are some of the species who may find habitat here:

The property also borders the San Gregorio Creek watershed, the second-largest watershed on the San Mateo County coast, which offers critical habitat for fish that migrate between salt and fresh water to spawn. Every species plays a role, and protecting landscapes like this helps preserve the connections that make California’s coast so resilient.

A Beach that Will Stay Public

One of San Gregorio Ranch’s greatest strengths is its location immediately adjacent to the 452-acre San Gregorio State Beach. Now that both properties are under the stewardship of California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, visitors can experience them as one continuous coastal landscape. Visitors now have two entrances to the park to choose from after the installation of an entrance kiosk on the northern access point. There is now improved parking, a bathroom facility, and a trail that connects the two properties.

A Missing Link on the California Coastal Trail

I’m most excited about our future access plans for this property! Bringing San Gregorio Ranch into public ownership provides an exciting opportunity for POST to close a long-standing gap in the statewide California Coastal Trail. When completed, this segment will allow hikers, cyclists, and other visitors to travel safely along the coastline by crossing the property rather than along a hazardous stretch of Highway 1. Spanning more than 1,200 miles from Oregon to Mexico, the California Coastal Trail is a continuous public route showcasing California’s spectacular coastline. 

What’s Next

Stewardship planning is already underway. POST and State Parks will continue to explore options like continued grazing on the property’s eastern portion for ecological benefit, and the two organizations intend to formalize their partnership so that coastal trail and access improvements keep moving forward in the years ahead. 

Opening San Gregorio Ranch to the public would not have been possible without the community that rallied behind our fundraising campaign to permanently protect the property. To everyone who gave, advocated for and believed this stretch of coast was worth protecting: thank you. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I’m looking forward to an even brighter future for San Gregorio Ranch.