Peninsula

Parkland on the Peninsula takes many shapes: hills that once held radio towers and Nike missile sites today offer a respite from the sprawl below. State beaches and rugged, windswept parkland line the coast, while towering redwood forests loom over the interior.

In northern San Mateo County, the northern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains finally meets the sea. To the east of the ridgeline, major employers sit amid development near the airport; to the west, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay feel a world away despite their closeness. Between them, thousands of acres of protected parkland dominated by coastal scrub provide panoramic views.

The inland and southern coast of San Mateo County can be difficult to reach by fixed-route transit. The Southern Skyline Boulevard Ridge Trail is a notable exception, with buses stopping only a few hundred feet from the trailhead. Other remote beaches and redwood parks may require SamCoast, a call-ahead shuttle service.