A Sneak Peek at the Devil's Slide Trail

San Mateo County supervisor Don Horsley with the Parks Department last Friday, Nov. 22, hosted a walk-through of the new Devil's Slide Trail.

Representatives from both Half Moon Bay and Pacifica were in attendance including Half Moon Bay city council member Allan Alifano, Chamber CEO Charise McHugh and Pacifica Chamber CEO Courtney Conlon.

The crowd gathered at the south end of the trail to begin the walk where morning refreshments were served and introductions were made. Julia Bott of San Mateo County Parks spoke about the trail conditions. Supervisor Horsley donned a scarf monogrammed with: "Devil's Slide Trail Opening 2014 San Mateo County Parks Foundation." A miniature model of the trail was on display along with maps and information on area parks.

The trail, which was permanently closed in March of 2013 when traffic was rerouted through the new Tom Lantos Memorial Tunnels, is slated to open to the public in Spring of 2014.

The Devil’s Slide Trail Project involves the conversion of the segment of Highway 1 south of the City of Pacifica into a public multi-use non-motorized trail. The project also includes signage, accessibility improvements, habitat protection, and overlooks. San Mateo County Parks Department is proposing to install 10 interpretive panels for the new Devil’s Slide section of the California Coastal Trail. The panels will interpret the geology, history, and natural features found at the site. 

Roadway resurfacing also needs to be done, and when finished, the Devil's Slide Trail will be monitored by on-site park rangers with limited parking available.  

Pacifica's free weekend shuttle, Devil’s Slide Ride, will add this stop to its route. The shuttle will not go through the tunnel but will stop at the north end to pick up and drop of visitors to the trail. 

SamTrans will also service the area, which will provide access to 11 miles of the California Coastal Trail from Mori Point in Pacifica to Pillar Point in Princeton.