The Mori Point promontory juts out between Sharp Park and Rockaway beaches in Pacifica. Here visitors can stroll through wildflower fields or marvel at the dramatic coastline—visible from as far north as Point Reyes.

The Golden Gate National Parks and National Park Service recently completed significant improvements to Mori Point’s trail system and sensitive habitat areas.

VISIT MORI POINT: TIPS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• The terrain here is varied; walks around Mori Point range from a level and easy 0.5-mile stroll to a steep and challenging 1.5-mile hike.
• Parking is available on Mori Point Road or Bradford Way.
• Walk to the tip of the promontory for stunning views or a picnic.
• Stroll down to Laguna Salada and listen for the croaking of the endangered California red-legged frog.
• Walk barefoot on the black sands of Sharp Park Beach.
• Wildflower blooms are at their peak in the springtime, with the most flowers usually present in April and May.

Limestone, Gravel, and Sand
In the 1700s, the Spanish mined the limestone quarry near Mori Point to supply whitewash for San Francisco’s Presidio buildings. Mori Point also was the site of a gravel and sand extraction operation during World War II. Using a pulley system of long cables attached to cement anchors, buckets of sand were brought ashore. Several of these crumbling blocks remain on the western hillside.

Restoration Work
Quarrying and off-road vehicle use have left this site heavily scarred. Most of this restoration efforts at Mori Point were focused on invasive species removal and the enhancement endangered species habitat.

From Notorious Dancehall to National Park
After arriving from Italy in 1888, Stefano Mori purchased 19 acres of farmland on a cape protruding into the Pacific. Mori built a rambling 21-room guesthouse with a bar, dance hall, restaurant, and an Italian deli. The Mori Point Inn, which had a notorious reputation during Prohibition days, was operated by the Mori family until the 1940s.

After its decline as a farm, a guesthouse, and a gravel mining site, Mori Point’s future remained in limbo for decades. In 2000, with the help of the Pacifica Land Trust, the Coastal Conservancy, and concerned community members, Mori Point was purchased by the Trust for Public Land and added to the Golden Gate National Parks.