Memorial Park (San Mateo County, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Memorial Park |
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Moss-covered tables, Huckleberry Flat picnic area
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| Type | Parkland |
| Location | 9500 Pescadero Creek Road Loma Mar, California |
| Area | 673 acres (272 ha) |
| Created | 1924 |
| Operated by | San Mateo County, California |
| Open | All year |
Memorial Park is a beautiful park located in Loma Mar, California. It's managed by San Mateo County's Department of Parks. The park covers a large area of 673 acres (2.72 km2).
Inside Memorial Park, you'll find amazing old-growth redwood trees. There are also eight miles (13 km) of hiking trails for exploring. Visitors can enjoy camping areas, picnic spots, and a special visitor center. There's even a camp store and a creek swimming area. In the evenings, you can join fun campfire programs.
Pescadero Creek flows through the park. This creek is very important because it provides a winter home for steelhead trout. Other creeks like Bloomquist, Hoffman, McCormick, and Peterson Creeks also join Pescadero Creek here.
The trails in Memorial Park connect to other nearby parks. You can reach Pescadero Creek County Park from the Hoffman Flat Trailhead. The Old Haul Road trail also links to Sam McDonald County Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, and Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Contents
How Memorial Park Started
The Beginning of Camp Eden
In the early 1900s, the area we now call Memorial Park was known as Camp Eden. It was a forest filled with very old redwood trees. Local families used it as a place to camp by the road. Their children went to the nearby Wurr School.
Saving the Redwoods
In 1923, Roy W. Cloud, who was in charge of schools for San Mateo County, visited the Wurr School. He loved the natural beauty of the area. But he was also worried because a lumber company had just bought the land. They planned to cut down all the trees.
Mr. Cloud asked the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to buy the land. He wanted it to be saved as a park. A group of important citizens looked into it and agreed. They thought the site was as good as Big Basin, another famous park. In 1923, the county bought 314 acres (127 ha) from the lumber company. It cost about $70,000.
Honoring Heroes
A supervisor named Thomas L. Hickey suggested a special idea. He wanted to name prominent trees in the new park after the men from San Mateo County who died in World War I. On July 4, 1924, during the park's dedication, the names of 52 men were read aloud. Each name honored a redwood tree in an area called Legion Flat. Later, local Boy Scouts added bronze plaques to each tree.
Building the Park with Help
The Boy Scouts were some of the first big users of Memorial Park. In 1926, they built Camp Pescadero. This camp was 11-acre (4.5 ha) and could hold up to 200 Scouts. They even built a small dam on Pescadero Creek to create a large swimming area.
During the Great Depression, a special program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped build many parts of the park. About 300 WPA workers lived in a camp within Memorial Park. They built many of the park's facilities and structures. At the same time, another camp for about 150 runaway girls was also set up. The WPA men worked on logging, while the women helped with cooking and washing. Most of the WPA's work was finished by 1937. This work helped shape how the park looks today.
Things to Do at Memorial Park
Camping Adventures
Memorial County Park is a very popular place for camping overnight. When the park first opened on July 4, 1924, all 300 campsites were full! On a typical summer night, more than 1,500 people camp in the park.
Starting in October 2019, the San Mateo County Parks Department began updating the camping areas. These were the first big renovations since the park opened in 1924. The park was expected to reopen for camping in spring 2021.
| Flat | Sites | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azalea | 158 | 1264 | |
| Sequoia | |||
| Redwood | 15 | 75 | |
| Wurr | #1 | 15 | 75 |
| #2 | 15 | 75 | |
The park has 158 campsites, divided into different named areas. There are also areas for day use, a visitor center, and a camp store. Two campsites, Homestead Flat and Redwood Flat, are set aside for youth groups. Most of the public areas and campsites are south of Pescadero Creek Road. Most of the hiking trails are in the hilly region north of the road.
Exploring the Trails
Memorial Park has many great trails for hiking and exploring the forest.
- Creek Trail – 1.2 miles (1.9 km)
- Homestead Trail – 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
- Mt. Ellen Nature Trail – 1.0 mile (1.6 km)
- Mt. Ellen Summit Trail – 1.6 miles (2.6 km)
- Pomponio Canyon Trail – 3.5 miles (5.6 km)
- Sequoia Trail – 0.7 miles (1.1 km)
- Tan Oak Nature Trail – 0.5 miles (0.80 km)
- Wurr Trail – 0.3 miles (0.48 km)
Memorial Park's Location
Memorial Park is part of a bigger group of county parks. This group is called the Pescadero-Memorial Park Complex. It grew over time as more land was added.
The parks in this complex include:
- Memorial Park (started in 1924)
- Sam McDonald County Park (added in 1958, opened in 1970)
- Heritage Grove Trail
- Pescadero Creek County Park (added in 1968)
These parks are next to Portola Redwoods State Park. They are also close to areas protected by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. These areas include the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve and the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve.
