Mellow in the Marsh

Hike Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve on the San Mateo Coast

03.05.2020
Hike Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve

Beach, birds, ice plant popping purple flowers: That’s a hiking slam dunk! Hike about 2 miles at Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve using their easy to navigate (well-signed) Sequoia Audubon Trail. Great blue herons, red-tailed hawks, great egrets, even turtles use the habitats here, which include a tidal estuary, woodlands, and marshes.

Woman leaping off a tree log by a lagoon at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

Woman standing at a lagoon at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

This 2-mile hike combines the preserve’s tranquil trail system and its sister beach along Highway 1. Starting from the parking area at Pescadero State Beach, follow the route that briefly parallels Highway 1 before a short stairway to Pescadero State Beach winds you underneath the bridge to a lagoon at Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve.

Woman walking alongside the water at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

Woman walking the sandy trail next to the water at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

Woman sitting on a tree log overlooking water at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

Over 200 bird species have appeared over the years, including cormorants and great blue herons, currently abundant in the area. The trail crosses a few bridges and gradually ascends to a bench overlooking the preserve. Return the way you came, but detour onto North Pond Trail for another nice vista on the other side of the steel bridge.

Woman hiking the sands next ice plant at Pescadero Marsh Preserve

Woman stopped on a pedestrian bridge crossing at Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve

Woman walking along wide open Pescadero State Beach

Woman walking on Pescadero State Beach

EAT & DRINK: East of the marsh lies little Pescadero, a coastal farming community that’s emerged as artisan while maintaining its down-to-earth roots. Stage Road is lined with artisan craft shops from pottery and jewelry to beautiful woodworks, and throwback stores with checkered button-ups so old they’ve come back in style! And of course, don’t skip a chance to eat the signature artichoke soup and drink the tasty cocktails at Duarte’s Tavern.

Duartes Tavern in Pescadero

It’s most famously known for the pies (the boysenberry fresh baked is a Weekend Sherpa favorite), but there’s plenty of other delicious food cooking. Grab a seat at the bar or take a table and order the Burnin’ Up margarita. Just to get you started….

Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve is on Hwy. 1, 15 miles south of Hwy. 92. The Sequoia Audubon Trail is accessed from the central Pescadero State Beach parking lot. Follow signs to the pedestrian walkway over the Hwy. 1 bridge and take the stairs to the beach. Walk under the bridge from the beach and find the trail sign. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View