A New Life for Tunitas Creek Beach
The towering bluffs of Tunitas Creek Beach, just south of Half Moon Bay, have piqued my curiosity since I first saw them almost 30 years ago. Every time I pass by on Highway 1, I’m eager to get out and explore the mile-long beach below. But the bluffs surrounding the beach have been in private hands all these years. As a result, there has been no safe option for public access and the view from the road was as far as my curiosity could take me.
That hasn’t stopped others from trespassing on this property and in recent years things have gotten way out of hand. Fueled by social media, the beach has become a destination for large, multi-night campouts. This unmanaged use has caused severe environmental degradation to the sensitive coastal bluffs and polluted nearby Tunitas Creek which provides habitat for endangered red-legged frog and steelhead trout.
We knew something needed be to done to protect this beach – we were simply loving it to death.
Today, we’re pleased to announce POST’s acquisition of the 58 acres on the southern end of Tunitas Creek Beach. We’ve acquired this property to protect it from further abuse, rehabilitate its natural features and prepare it to be opened as a brand new public park for all to enjoy. It’s an ambitious vision that will take the whole community to bring to reality.
We’re working to raise $10 million to make this vision possible. These funds will be used towards the purchase and to build public access routes, parking facilities, restrooms and possibly a ranger station: all of the elements needed to protect the land and allow for safe public use.
We are working closely with San Mateo County Parks on this project, and they will manage the property for us both now and in the future. Together, we are hopeful that these improvements can be completed within the next three years, at which time the beach would be officially opened as a new San Mateo County park.
Until then, enjoy this virtual tour of a truly remarkable piece of our local coastline:
It’s deeply satisfying for me to be sharing this great news with you and to know that Tunitas Creek Beach will become a place for future generations to explore and be refreshed by this glorious piece of California Coast.
If you are interested in helping us fund this ambitious project, we welcome your donation. And watch for more information to come on our progress over the months ahead.
About Post
Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving more than 87,000 acres as permanently protected land in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Learn more