In brief:
0.9 mile out and back walk from the outskirts of Princeton harbor to the beach.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 0.9 mile out and back walk is very easy, on a completely flat trail.

Exposure:
Completely exposed.

Trail traffic:
Moderate.

Trail surfaces:
Dirt fire road and (optional) sandy beach.

Walking time:
Under an hour.

Season:
Nice any time.

Getting there:

From CA 1 in San Mateo County (about 3 miles north of the CA 92 junction in Half Moon Bay), turn west at a traffic light onto Capistrano. Drive about 0.3 mile on Capistrano, then turn left onto Prospect. Drive 0.1 mile, then turn left onto Broadway. Almost immediately, turn right onto Princeton. Drive about 0.4 mile, then turn right onto West Point Avenue. Drive about 0.6 mile, to the parking lot on the left at the end of the road, before the entrance to the Air Force station.

GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude 37°30'5.94"N
Longitude 122°29'48.30"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)

Gas, food, and lodging:
Several restaurants line Capistrano Road on the way to the trailhead. More extensive services, with stores, gas, and pay phones, are available in nearby Half Moon Bay, El Granada, and Moss Beach. No camping.

Trailhead details:
Dirt parking lot. No parking or entrance fees. There are portable toilets, but no drinking water or maps. There is a designated handicapped parking spot, and the trail is well-suited to wheelchairs (except in wet weather). SamTrans bus #17 stops within walking distance of the trailhead. Visit the Transit Info website for details.

Rules:
Parking lot is open from sunrise to sunset. Dogs are permitted on leash only, on the trail to the point. Dogs and horses are not permitted on the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's beaches. Equestrians don't frequent the area.

The Official Story:
San Mateo County's Pillar Point page
SMCP's Fitzgerald page
Park office 650-355-8289

Map Choices:

• Map from SMCP
• Trails of the Coastside and Northern Peninsula (map) has a good map of the area, and is helpful in getting there (available from Pease Press).

Pillar Point in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured walk.



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