Vote for Pedro

Hike Pedro Point by Pacifica

Green marks the spot. A green gate, that is. Hidden off Highway 1, just north of Pacifica's Devil's Slide Tunnel, this unassuming entrance leads to a 2.2-mile (round-trip) hike with spectacular views of the rugged Peninsula shoreline at Pedro Point. The trail's crown jewel? Pedro Summit, a bluffside vantage where hikers can gaze 600 feet downwards to treacherous crashing waves. Underneath, on the ocean's floor, are remnants of two shipwrecks, the Drumburton and the James Rolph (the wrecks are accessible to advanced divers only). To reach Pedro Summit, begin a gentle climb along the exposed South Ridge Trail. After 0.6 mile, this well-maintained dirt path turns into Bluff Trail. California golden poppies dot the next 0.5-mile ascent through a resplendent mix of fluorescent fuchsia and yellow ice plant blooms before giving way to an unobstructed seascape punctuated by Pedro Rock, a photogenic and jagged knife-like edge jutting into the ocean with strata dramatically upended. One final push and victory is yours! Views stretch from Point Reyes to San Francisco’s Cliff House and the Golden Gate Bridge. You can often see all the way out to the Farallon Islands. Return the way you came.

TIP: Add an hour to your hike by continuing onto the Devil's Slide segment of the Coastal Trail, an easy 1.3-mile (one-way) out-and-back asphalt path whose well-marked northern trailhead is adjacent to the green gate. This popular multi-use trail offers more cliff-hugging coastal views of Pedro Rock.

NOTE: We don't recommend hiking this trail after heavy rains. Wait a few days because its location can make it more slick and unpredictable after heavy rain. Park at the Devil's Slide trailhead parking lot, off Hwy. 1 just before the Devil's Slide Tunnel, heading southbound. The green gate is a two-minute walk around the corner, where very limited additional free parking is available. Check out a map of trails. Make sure to arrive early on weekends; the lot fills up quickly. Additionally, the City of Pacifica operates a free weekend shuttle that arrives at the northern trailhead. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View