What to Discover at Tunitas Creek Beach

Back when Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach was a private property with an uncertain future, I often imagined the public park it could become. After nearly a decade of planning, restoration, and collaboration, it’s incredibly gratifying to see an outdoor oasis coming to life. Today, people of all ages are walking the trails, taking in the views, and experiencing this remarkable stretch of the San Mateo County Coast for themselves.

As someone who knows these bluffs inside out, I can attest that this landscape rewards those who slow down and pay attention. While pausing to breathe in the salty ocean air, you might spot a migrating gray whale offshore or a tiny western snowy plover sprinting across the sand. If you’re curious about the park’s human and natural history, a new self-guided audio tour adds another layer to the experience. 

Now that the park is open, I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself. Here are a few things to look for — and the stories to discover — on your next visit.

A Beach Transformed into a Public Park

Sometimes, knowing how a place came to be helps you see it differently. That’s especially true at Tunitas Creek Beach, where its transformation is just one piece of a much bigger story.

Not long ago, this 58-acre property was struggling under the weight of its own popularity. Without safe public access or basic facilities, party-goers parked along a dangerous stretch of Highway 1. They carved informal paths into the bluff, accelerating erosion and damaging sensitive habitat. Trash accumulated across the landscape, raising alarm bells for local volunteers and conservationists.

Concern from locals sparked a community-wide effort to protect this special place while making it safe and welcoming for both people and wildlife. The late San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley played an essential role securing the partnerships and funding needed to protect this stretch of coastline.

He alerted POST and we sprung into action — purchasing the property in 2017 and later transferring it to San Mateo County Parks at a bargain price. Together with community members and San Mateo County Parks, we transformed it into the park you can explore today, complete with scenic overlooks, picnic areas, accessible trails, interpretive exhibits, and direct access to nearly a mile stretch of sandy shoreline.

A Scenic Trail From the Bluffs to the Beach

Before you race from your car to the ocean, remember that the trail itself is part of the adventure. From the parking area along Highway 1, the winding pathways invite you to slow down, take in the scenery, and experience the landscape one vista at a time.

The trail to the picnic tables and overlook is paved and ADA accessible, while the path from there to the beach is unpaved. The grades are relatively gentle, but remember: what goes down must come back up! 

Want to take the long way to the beach? The Schilling Trail is a 1.3-mile natural trail that starts at the southern end of the parking lot and meanders down along the bluffs down to the shore. It passes through classic Northern California coastal scrub, including coyote brush and coastal sagebrush. Keep an eye out for California quail, lizards, butterflies, bees, and other small residents. (Caution: watch for poison oak too!)

Want to dive deeper? A free self-guided audio tour brings the landscape to life with stories about migrating whales, Indigenous history, coastal geology, and the wildlife species who call Tunitas Creek home.

Gray Whales and Other Coastal Wildlife

From marine mammals to tiny shorebirds, wildlife is one of the best reasons to visit Tunitas Creek Beach. The park sits where several habitats meet—ocean, beach, creek wetlands, coastal scrub, and forest—making it home to an incredible diversity of plants and animals.

Whale watching is a special treat during gray whale migration season, which typically runs from December through May. Bring binoculars if you have them, and scan the horizon from the blufftop overlooks. On calm mornings, you may spot gray whales traveling between the Arctic and Baja California. Watch for the telltale puff of a whale’s spout or, if you’re lucky, the dramatic lift of a tail fluke before it disappears beneath the waves.

Birdwatchers are in for a fun time, too. Look for pelicans and cormorants soaring overhead or sooty shearwaters skimming remarkably close to the waves. Down on the sand, you might spot sanderlings darting back and forth at the water’s edge as the surf rolls in and out. And we can’t forget one of the park’s tiny residents: the western snowy plover.  These threatened shorebirds occasionally winter on the shores of Tunitas Creek Beach Since they rely on relatively undisturbed habitat, it’s best to give them plenty of space. 

Coastal Geology Millions of Years in the Making

The dramatic cliffs are beautiful, but they’re also constantly changing. Much of this coastline is made of relatively fragile sandstone that’s continually reshaped by landslides, erosion, earthquakes, and crashing waves. In fact, the sandstone of the Purisima Formation began forming beneath an ancient sea millions of years ago, and fossils of marine animals like snails and clams can still be found in the rock today.

Rather than trying to tame this ever-changing landscape, the park’s designers embraced it. Engineers carefully routed trails along the most stable contours of the bluff instead of forcing paths through unstable terrain with extensive retaining walls and earth-moving. Permanent features like overlooks, parking areas, and restrooms sit on higher ground to account for future sea-level rise.

The result is a park designed to evolve alongside the coast, giving visitors safe access to spectacular scenery while leaving room for the natural processes and wildlife that make this place so special.

Thousands of Years of Human History

Knowing a place’s history is a bit like time travel. Every bluff, beach, and creek tells a story, especially if you know where to look.

Long before this landscape became a public park, Ramaytush Ohlone people lived in, traveled through, and cared for this landscape over countless generations. Shell deposits found at the beach show they gathered mussels, clams, and other shellfish here. Likewise, a village called Torose—home to the Cotegen people—stood near the mouth of Tunitas Creek when the Spanish Portolá expedition passed through in 1769. 

Centuries later, this coastline took on another role as agriculture and commerce reshaped the region. Did you know that in the 1870s, an entrepreneur built a 350-foot chute down the cliffs so farm goods could be loaded directly onto ships waiting offshore? If you’re curious about how this strategy went awry, take a listen to our audio tour!

Plan Your Visit to Tunitas Creek Beach

Located along Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and Pescadero, Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach offers scenic overlooks, accessible trails, picnic areas, interpretive exhibits, and direct access to nearly one mile of sandy shoreline.

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Park Amenities

• ADA accessible pathway connecting the bluff top to a mid-bluff viewing area
• Bluff-top parking
• Restrooms at the mid-bluff
• Scenic overlooks with panoramic ocean views
• Picnic tables and gathering areas
• Interpretive signage and online audio tour
• Nearly a mile of sandy beach

Know Before You Go

• Open year-round from 8 a.m. Check the San Mateo County Parks website for closing times.
• Free admission and free parking
• No lifeguards on duty
• No dogs are allowed due to the fragile habitats
• Please stay on designated trails and observe posted wildlife protections
• Please pack out what you pack in
• Dangerous rip currents are prevalent at this beach as are sleeper waves. Park officials urge visitors to be safe around water and never to turn their backs on the ocean.