Sweeney Ridge: Pacifica from Mori Point to Terra Nova

Pacifica, when brought up outside of the immediate area, is most known for its cool, foggy weather and isolated, far away feel. However, it’s only a few miles away from the nearest BART station and half-hourly buses run directly from the station deep into the heart of the town.

Just upland of Pacifica rests the home of a former Nike missle site. This area can be approached from Skyline College, but accessing the parkland via the Mori Ridge Trail provides a more serene, wild feeling entrance to Skyline College’s more developed feel.

Starting at the neighborhood just north of Mori Point – the point itself is worth visiting, for an two miles not included here – follow a small neighborhood connector trail up to Mori Ridge Rd. Do not walk on the shoulder of Hwy 1, that is dangerous and unnecessary. Follow the road up to the parking lot and trailhead entrance sign.

From there, follow the trail slowly up the ridgeline. Briefly passing through sparse forest, the trail maintains a consistent uphill march, with only small flattish sections at most for repreive, but the trail is well-maintained, including for runoff management, and is not so steep as to be unusually hard to hike.

Eventually, the trail meets the turnoff for the Notch Trail, a 1-mile trail heading to Skyline College where SamTrans 121 and 141 buses can be caught if needed. Otherwise, continue along the main trail, which at this point becomes Sweeney Ridge Trail. Follow it past the old Nike missile site, where interpretive panels explain the history of the program and the missiles, and where the trail becomes paved. The paved road is used mainly for maintenance vehicles at the radio broadcast site a short ways down the trail.

Past the broadcast site, the paved road turns and heads downhill toward the Bay. Around 500 feet past that, the Baquiano Trail turns off the other way and heads downhill toward the ocean. Once on the Baquiano Trail, there are no more geographic features in the way of spectacular views, and if the weather is cooperative, Montara Mountain can be seen looming in the distance across the last part of Pacifica. Equally impressive is the view of San Pedro Rock, the lone rock in the ocean at the end of Pedro Point.

Don’t be so distracted by the views on Baquiano Trail as to miss the turnoff: after the gate, the trail becomes known (on some signs, but not others) as the Ahni Trail. Do not follow the first, steep turnoff; instead, continue just a little further and take a left at the next sign. The trail has had switchbacks constructed, but a steep downhill trail following the ridge also exists. If following the switchbacks, the trail generally maintains a comfortable grade for the remaining downhill to the water tank at the end of Fassler Rd. The end of the hike is located in a neighborhood on a rather tall hill, so there is significantly less downhill required than uphill.