soap when you get home. If you have unavoidably brushed against some poison oak, wash the area in the nearest stream or even use water from your canteen. Investigate new pharmaceutical products designed to prevent contamination and others to remove its effects.
Rattlesnakes: Another, and far less common, hazard is the rattlesnake. It has a triangular head, diamond markings or dark blotches on its back, and from one to ten or more rattles (segments) on its tail—it adds a new rattle each time it sheds its skin. It is the only poisonous snake native to our hills; it inhabits many hillside parks, though it is rarely seen. The rattlesnake will avoid you if it possibly can. Just watch where you put your feet and hands, and stay on the trails.
Lyme Disease: A potentially serious illness can result from the bite of the Western Black-Legged tick, a 1⁄4-inch-diameter insect. Ticks brush off onto you from grasses and trailside bushes. Wear long pants, tucked into boots or socks, and a long-sleeved shirt.
Mountain Lions: Sightings of these shy, native residents of wild lands have become more frequent due to increased use of their habitat by people. A mountain lion is about the size of a small German shepherd, with a thick tail as long as its body. It is recommended that trail users stand facing any mountain lion they encounter, make loud noises while waving their arms, and not run away.
Bobcats: Although generally shy, if aroused they can be treacherous. They are about twice the size of a house cat with 6-inch-long tails.
Feral Pigs: Imported from Europe, these animals interbred with domestic pigs and have spread over many acres of wild lands since their introduction for hunting in the 19th century. While generally not dangerous to humans, they can be fierce when cornered. If you see large areas of meadows and open forest that appear to have been tilled, you are proably seeing the work of these animals.
Coyotes: Their numbers are increasing; frequently sighted in open grasslands; seem curious about humans and have been known to attack humans.
Remember, wild animals normally avoid humans, if possible. Trail users must be careful not to entice them closer by giving them food, as they may lose their natural fear and cause problems.
Weather
The vagaries and variety of our local weather require some flexibility in planning hikes. Summer weather can vary from day to day, even from hour to hour where coastal fogs and winds influence the temperature. The Coastside, Skyline ridge and the northern Peninsula are often windy and dripping with fog in summer while the rest of the Peninsula is mild and sunny. In other seasons the mountains can be drenched in rain when the Bayside cities are merely cloudy. Fall, winter, and spring are best on the Coastside, when fresh breezes bring clean air and crystal visibility.
Summer and fall bring sunny, hot days to the southern Peninsula. Midday hiking is best then in the cool, forested canyons. In any season, south- and west-facing slopes are the warmest. A winter hike on such slopes is delightful on a sunny day.
What To Wear
Walking is surely the prime low-cost sport. The rewards are unrelated to the outlay for equipment.
The only essential is comfortable, sturdy footgear. The many available walking and running shoes with good treads are fine for Peninsula trails. Some hikers still prefer boots for the protection they give on rough terrain and on wet trails.
Clothing—dress like an onion, so you can peel off layers as needed:
sweater and windbreaker
long-sleeved shirt and long pants for protection from sun and poison oak
hat for shade in summer and a scarf or warm cap for cold and windy days.
all-purpose bandana or scarf
Water—an essential; no drinking fountains on trails; stream water is unsafe to drink
snack or lunch
this guidebook
day pack—for extra clothing, lunch, and water
And, if weight is not a problem:
binoculars for birds
magnifying glass for flowers, lichen, and insects
flower or bird guide
Northern Peninsula
From the San Francisco County Line to Highway 92
Lower Crystal Springs Lake seen from Sawyer Camp Trail
San Bruno Mountain State and County Park
San Bruno Mountain rises starkly from the Bay to an elevation of 1314 feet, dominating the northern Peninsula landscape, its bare, steep flanks creased by narrow ravines and a few wooded canyons. The cities of San Francisco, Brisbane, South San Francisco, Colma, and Daly City surround the mountain.
From the top of this seemingly barren mountain rising above the cities encircling it, you see the other Bay Area landmark mountains, the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco’s skyscrapers, and the ships on its great Bay.
In 1978 the mountain became San Bruno Mountain Park with the purchase by the State of California and San Mateo County of 1500 acres and the gift of 500 acres by the property owner. Later additions brought the park’s total to 2266 acres, which are managed by San Mateo County.
Guadalupe Canyon Parkway, running generally east-west across the park, leads to the park entrance. North of the parkway is a relatively level area known as the Saddle, where visitors find beautiful views and attractive picnic areas screened by Monterey cypress and sheltering low walls. A day camp nestles in the center of the Saddle and trails loop around the perimeter.
South of the parkway, trails ascend the mountain’s steep sides and a road to the summit leads to trails along its high ridges. Superb views from this mountaintop make it a fine place to take visitors for an orientation to the Bay Area, all laid out before you.
More than 11 miles of trails take the visitor over the mountain’s varied terrain: short, easy nature trails accessible for the physically limited, moderate loop hikes, and longer trips up the mountain. Although the ridges of the mountain are exposed to the prevailing winds and fog from the ocean, and buffeted by the storms of winter, the ravines in the lee of the main ridgeline are often sunny and relatively warm. After winter rains clear, the superb 360° views are worth a trip to the mountain with windbreaker, binoculars, and camera. Even in blustery weather, the hiking is good if you are prepared with proper clothing.
Considered an outlier of the Santa Cruz Mountains, San Bruno Mountain geologically is an elevated fault block composed largely of a dark gray Franciscan rock with the catchy name of graywacke (three syllables). You can see jumbled outcroppings of this rock above Guadalupe Canyon Parkway as you come up the canyon from the west.
History
Some
