Tarwater Loop Trail in Pescadero Creek County Park

Pescadero Creek County Park is one of the hidden treasures of San Mateo County. This 6,000 acre forested park, which is adjacent to Portola Redwoods State Park, Sam McDonald County Park, and San Mateo County Memorial Park, is often overlooked because the entrances are hard to find.

Yesterday my De Anza College class enjoyed a 6-mile hike that began at the Tarwater Trail entrance. To get there you need to take narrow and winding Alpine Road west from where it intersect Skyline Boulevard. Continue past State Park Road, which goes to Portola State Park, and then look carefully on the left (south) side of the road for the entrance to Camp Pomponio Road, which you could easily miss. Look for a sign that says: Pescadero Creek County Park 7546 Alpine Road". It is across from Buffalo Valley Road. Take the narrow paved road with lots of potholes downhill to the locked gate and turn left into the parking lot.

From the parking lot head downhill (south) on the Tarwater Loop Trail. It passes some large Douglas fir trees before entering the redwood forest. There is an especially large ancient redwood on the right side of the trail. A few years ago I measured it at 15.5 feet in diameter. Looking up you will see some large reiterations. The loggers spared that tree because the downhill side was hollowed out by fire.

Continuing downhill look carefully on the right for the remains of the Moore, Fisher, & Troupe saw mill, established in 1915. It used steam power to turn redwood logs into railroad ties. A large iron boiler lies on its side. Further south the trail intersects the Bridge Trail, which is an old logging road. Take this road to the left (downhill) and cross the bridge over Pescadero Creek. There is a good lunch spot on the south side of the creek. Pescadero Creek is the biggest creek in San Mateo County. It is recovering from decades of logging, which silted it up and made it uninhabitable to steelhead trout and coho salmon. The fish are beginning to return as the creek is restored.

After lunch we retraced our steps across the bridge and continued on the Bridge Trail to the Camp Pomponio Road, which connects with the second half of the Tarwater Loop Trail. From here it is all uphill and back to the parking lot. We left the trail for a couple of hundred feet at the Canyon Trail intersection to see why Tarwater Creek got its name. You can see tar oozing out of the ground in the creek bed.

On this hike we saw thimbleberry

plants in bloom, forget-me-nots, horsetail, Douglas iris, wild rose, redwood sorrel, two-eyed violet, blue eyed grass, butter cups, and bellardia. We also examined a large banana slug.

The banana slug's a lucky guy
He won't let romance pass him by
If another slug should meet
The couple soon is indiscreet
Whose the mother? You may ask
Each is ready for the task
It matters not whose male or miss
Their mating is a time of bliss
And when they're through
Upon their slime
They leave to mate another time

Portola State Park/Pescadero Creek County Park Loop Hike

Portola State Park, Pescadero Creek County Park, Sam McDonald County Park, and San Mateo County Memorial Park combine to form a large and beautiful mostly second-growth

redwood forested area with lots of trails.

My College of San Mateo class began at the  Ramada picnic area in Portola State Park and took a 5.5 mile loop that traversed Portola State Park and Pescadero Creek County Park. After paying the entrance fee at the visitors center we parked near the Ramada Group Day Use Area. We then hiked the in and back on the Old Tree Trail to see the biggest redwood in the park. After returning we headed south on the Service Road and over the Pescadero Creek bridge to the Iverson Cabin Site and uphill to connect with the Old Haul Road. This route was once a narrow gauge railroad route used to haul logs to a saw mill. We turned right on the Bridge Trail and, after a short side trip to see the Snag Tree, we stopped for lunch on the banks of Pescadero Creek.

After lunch we crossed the bridge and headed north on the Bridge Trail and then east on the Pomponio Trail back to Portola State Park. Along our route we saw Douglas iris, wild rose, yerba de selva, hairy star tulip, fetid aders tongue, horse tail, redwood sorel, mild maid, and two eyed violet. We also examined a banana slug.

TO GET THERE... From Skyline Boulevard take Alpine Road west and turn south (right) on Portola State Park Road.