Come celebrate San Bruno Mountain with us over two weekends. On May 11 & 18 we'll enjoy this beautiful County and State park together with a series of nature hikes and volunteer events. Find more information for each event below and be sure to register in advance on Eventbrite.
To avoid paying the $6 vehicle entry fee, bring confirmation of your event registration (i.e. on your smart phone or as a printout) to show rangers at the gatehouse upon entering the park. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.
Questions? Contact Sam Herzberg, sherzberg@smcgov.org
Day One: Saturday, May 11
Saturday, May 11, 9:00am–12:00pm
Nature Journaling - San Bruno Mountain Muses
Led by Ariana Zaragoza
Join for a guided nature journaling walk on the mountain with San Bruno Mountain Watch! Family-friendly, all ages welcome. Be a San Bruno Mountain Muse! We will provide watercolor sets, binoculars, magnifying glasses, colored pencils, and a printed activity journal for every attendee. The walk will take place on the wide and accessible Saddle Loop trail with guided art and journaling activities taking place along the journey (botanical art, poetry, nature observation, landscape water coloring, and more). Please bring close-toed shoes, sun protection, water, and dress in layers.
We will meet at the main entrance parking of the park. See a map of the hike route.
20 people maximum
Saturday, May 11, 9:00am–12:00pm
The Ferns of San Bruno Mountain
Led by David Nelson
See all 11 ferns that grow on San Bruno Mountain, including ones that are not available to the general public. This will be an “academic” hike, with a handout and forms for you to fill out as you observe the ferns, the arrangement of their pinna, where they grow, number of fronds, etc. We will see all phases of the life cycle, including the sporophyte and the gametophyte, and learn the difference between a spore and a seed. You should bring your nature journal & pencil, loupe, and binoculars. We will hike about 1 mile, with about 300 feet total elevation change. Bring a lunch, as we will relax and eat on the Mountain.
We will meet at the main parking lot of the park. See a map of the hike route.
10 people maximum
Saturday, May 11, 9:00am–12:00pm
San Bruno Mountain Botanical Garden Tour & Workday
Led by Ariel Cherbowsky Corkidi & Aspen Garrido
Join San Bruno Mountain Watch at the San Bruno Mountain Botanical Garden for activities that will include planting, weeding, pruning, and mulching. Tools, gloves, and educational materials will be provided; the event will begin with an interpretive tour of the native plant garden. Please bring close-toed shoes, sun protection, water, and dress in layers.
The initial meeting location at 12pm is the parking lot south of the Canyon Parkway—drive under and past the overpass after you drive through the main entrance.
28 people maximum
Saturday, May 11, 9:00am–12:00pm
San Bruno Mountain Ridge Trail
Led by Doug Allshouse
Join for a walk on the Ridge, which offers a long and interesting menu of plant species including the endemic San Bruno Mountain manzanita. On a very clear day the vistas extend from Pt. Reyes to the South Bay and the Bay Bridge to Mt. Diablo. The trail is an undulating fire road that follows the ridge line. The wildflower show, while varied and spectacular, is just part of the allure. If weather permits we probably will encounter the endangered Mission Blue butterfly, along with other spectacular species.
We will meet at the Summit parking lot which is accessible from the main parking lot—turn right at the stop sign just past the ranger kiosk and follow the road all the way to the top. Bring layers of clothing since the weather may vary. Heavy rain cancels. See a map of the hike route.
15 people maximum
Day Two: Saturday, May 18
Saturday, May 18, 9:00am to 12:00pm
San Bruno Elfin Butterfly Story Walk
Led by Ariana Zaragoza & Ariel Cherbowsky Corkidi
Join San Bruno Mountain Watch for a guided interpretive walk exploring the habitat and history of the endangered San Bruno Elfin butterfly as part of the Elevate the Elfin project. Family-friendly, all ages welcome. An educational booklet will be provided to each attendee. The walk will take place on the Dairy Ravine Trail and Summit Loop Trail. Please bring close-toed shoes, sun protection, water, and dress in layers.
We'll meet initially at 9am in the second “Trailhead” parking lot, south of the Canyon Parkway—drive under and past the overpass after you drive through the main entrance of the park. See a map of the hike route.
20 people maximum
Saturday, May 18, 9:00am–12:00pm
San Bruno Mountain Colma Creek Headwaters Restoration Event
Led by Sam Herzberg & Aspen Garrido
Work with San Bruno Mountain Watch and San Mateo County Parks to improve the headwaters of Colma Creek. The event will focus on invasive plant removal in an important riparian area for birds. Volunteers will help remove invasive plants to protect the native plants that grow along the banks and wet meadows of the creek. Families are welcome.
We'll meet in the main parking lot of the park. Tools, gloves, and educational materials will be provided. Please bring close-toed shoes, sun protection, water, and dress in layers.
40 people maximum
Saturday, May 18, 10:00am–12:00pm
San Bruno Mountain Lichen Hike
Led by Loren Gerstein
Loren Gerstein, a lichen enthusiast, will lead a "Make Friends with Lichens" hike for beginners. Learn about and see the amazing variety of textures, colors, and structures of San Bruno Mountain lichens found on rocks, shrubs, trees, and even asphalt. Useful things to bring camera, binoculars, water, snack, hand lens or magnifying glass, and a gardener's kneeling pad if you want to get close up. The distance we'll cover is less than a mile with one modest incline. Some wildflowers will inevitably elbow their way into this hike.
Meet at the main parking lot. We will then drive to the Radio Road parking lot at the top of the mountain and do our exploration there. Be sure to use the restrooms in the main parking lot before we drive up, since there are no facilities at the upper parking lot. See a map of the hike route.
14 people maximum
Saturday, May 18, 9:00–10:30am
San Bruno Mountain, Western Saddle Area
Led by Doug Allshouse
Join for an informal and educational walk on the Old Guadalupe, Bog, and Saddle Trails. We will walk through eucalyptus and cypress forests, a high-altitude wetland, and open grassland habitats. Doug will explain various habitat restorations that have been performed and where they stand today. You will also learn the names of many plants, both native and non-native, and some fauna such as birds and animals, and whatever else we happen to see. The trails are easy walking with a few hills on the way back, and views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean. Bring a snack or two, some water, binoculars if you wish, and layers of clothing just in case the weather is different from what is was at your house.
We will meet at the Crocker gate, located a hundred feet west of the intersection of South Hill Boulevard and Crocker Avenue in Daly City. Admission to the County Park is free from this location. See a map of the hike route.
20 people maximum
Saturday, May 18th, 9:00am–12:00pm
Bog Hike: Invasive Plants & Loss of Grasslands
Led by David Nelson
Join for on a hike in the Bog, where we'll examine the challenge the Park faces in curbing the loss of native plants. “Saving San Bruno Mountain” is not just saving it from development and asphalt, it is also about protecting the native plants from invasive weeds such as acacia, eucalyptus, English ivy, as well as protecting the open grasslands from native shrub encroachment due to a lack of large herbivores and the loss of the natural fire regime.
We'll meet in the main parking lot. Bring a hat, water, snacks, and good hiking boots, and be prepared for sun or fog. Binoculars and a loupe will enhance your experience. Suggest bringing a Nature Journal (a simple $4 lab notebook as found in the grocery store or office supply store is recommended). The hike will be about one mile in length, without any significant elevation change. See a map of the hike route.
15 people maximum