Every Trail Tells a Story
Mori Point
Sunset perch with whale spouts on the horizon and wildflowers underfoot
Local color: from bootleggers to “Harold and Maude,” Mori’s stories are as dramatic as its cliffs
A breezy, bluff-top taste of Big Sur-style scenery just minutes from San Francisco
Honeycombed with hiking trails, Mori Point offers a stunning perch (blanketed with wildflowers in spring) from which to watch a sunset, scan the horizon for migrating whales or take in vistas north to Pacifica and far beyond.
Bounded by Sharp Park Beach on the north, tall bluffs beckoning on the south, and frog ponds and an aesthetically pleasing golf course on the east, Mori Point feels much larger on the ground than its modest footprint on the map. Hike the point on a clear day, and the sweep of ocean and coast makes it seem as if you’ve stumbled into a vast headland reserve.
This dramatic bluff has always had a knack for drama. The Aramai people, related to the Ohlone, first called this coast home. In the 1800s, Spanish colonization lured them inland to Mission Dolores. Fast-forward to Prohibition: bootleggers ran a speakeasy here, its clientele climbing the now-famous “Bootleggers Steps.” In the Depression, nearby Sharp Park became a relief camp for the displaced, and during World War II, the same area housed prisoners of war from Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Hollywood added to Mori’s quirky résumé. The cliffs were the final stage set in the 1971 cult classic “Harold and Maude,” when Harold drives his hearse off the edge in a mock-suicide. Later decades saw less charming drama: off-road vehicles churned up the meadows and motorcycles roared around a dirt track.
Nature, however, proved resilient-and so did locals. Conservation groups and neighbors fought off a parade of development proposals. By the early 2000s, their persistence paid off: Mori Point was purchased and added to Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Since then, frog ponds have been restored for the threatened California red-legged frog, wildflowers have flourished, and the network of trails has been stabilized.
Today, Mori Point is both a neighborhood backyard and a destination for Bay Area hikers. Trails weave across coastal prairie, climb staircases, and descend bluffs, with the wind forever reminding you that this is still a wild place. Bring a windbreaker, a camera, and a sense of humor: Mori Point has seen a lot, and it isn’t done making stories yet.
You can only access the Mori Point trailhead from Highway 1 southbound. From Highway 1 in Pacifica, shortly after passing Westport Drive, turn right on Mori Point Road. Park along the road or along Bradford Way.
From Mori Point Road, join signed Upper Mori Trail, lined with purple-hued seaside daisies and hike 0.3 mile southwest to meet Tmigtac Trail. Follow this path to meet Coastal Trail and walk another 0.5 mile to reach Mori Point, which sticks out between two long, sandy beaches. Waves dash in dramatic fashion against the rocks, shooting whitewater skyward.
Take in the grand views of black sand Sharp Beach and Pacifica Pier to the north and tall bluffs to the south. Few hikers venture past the point, but know Bluff Trail and others ascend the bluffs for fabulous coastal views.
From Mori Point double-back and descend exactly 645 feet on the Bootleg Stairs. Warmly greet out-of-breath hikers ascending the stairs. Return via Old Mori Road to complete this loop hike. For a fun addition to this outing, walk the California Coastal Trail atop the Sea Wall 0.9 mile to Pacifica Pier-or, as a sign whimsically indicates, continue on the CCT 490 miles to the Oregon border! En route, pass frog ponds and Sharp Park Golf Course, considered one of America’s great municipal courses.