Sam McDonald County Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sam McDonald Park |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Redwood forest in Sam McDonald County Park
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Type | Parkland |
| Location | 13435 Pescadero Creek Road Loma Mar, California |
| Area | 867 acres (351 ha) |
| Created | 1970 |
| Operated by | San Mateo County, California |
| Open | All year |
Sam McDonald Park is a beautiful park in San Mateo County, California. It's located between the towns of La Honda and Loma Mar. The park is managed by the San Mateo County Department of Parks.
This park covers about 867 acres (3.51 km2) of land. You'll find tall redwood forests, mixed woodlands, and open grassy areas here. Trails in the park go up to a ridgeline. From there, you can see amazing views of the Pescadero Creek valley, Butano Ridge, and even the Pacific Ocean.
Sam McDonald Park is connected to other nearby parks. It includes a special area called Heritage Grove. It also borders Pescadero Creek County Park. Through this park, you can reach Memorial County Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, and even Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Horseback riding is a popular activity here, and many riders use the Jack Brook Horse Camp.
Contents
The Story of Sam McDonald Park
Who Was Sam McDonald?
The park is named after a special person, Emanuel B. (Sam) McDonald. He was born on January 1, 1884, in Monroe, Louisiana. His grandparents had been enslaved, but Sam grew up to be a remarkable man.
His family moved around a lot when he was young. They farmed sugar beets in southern California. Then they moved to Gilroy and later to Washington state.
Sam's Journey to California
In 1900, Sam decided to stay in California. He left his family in Oregon and came back to California. He worked as an artist's model for a while. Later, he joined the crew of a steamboat called the Modoc. He worked on the boat until May 1901.
After leaving the Modoc, Sam traveled to Alviso. He then went to Mayfield to work with horses. By 1903, he started working at Stanford.
How the Park Land Was Acquired
Sam McDonald first saw the beautiful redwood forest near La Honda in 1917. He was on vacation with his boss at the time. He loved the area so much that he started buying land there in 1919.
He built a lodge on his property and called it Chee-Chee-Wa-Wa. He later named all his land the La Honda-Alpine-Ytaioa Reserve.
When Sam McDonald passed away in November 1957, he left his land to Stanford University. By then, his property was over 400 acres (160 ha). In 1958, San Mateo County bought the land for $67,000. They officially created Sam McDonald Park in 1970.
Later, in 1976, the park grew even bigger. An additional 450 acres (180 ha) were added. This brought the total size of Sam McDonald Park to 867 acres (351 ha).
Exploring Sam McDonald Park
The Pescadero-Memorial Park Complex
Today, Sam McDonald Park is part of a larger group of parks. This group is called the Pescadero-Memorial Park Complex. It includes several parks that are all connected or very close to each other.
The parks in this complex are:
- Memorial Park (created in 1924)
- Sam McDonald County Park (land acquired in 1958, park opened in 1970)
- Heritage Grove Redwood Preserve
- Pescadero Creek County Park (acquired in 1968)
These parks are also next to Portola Redwoods State Park. They are also close to other protected areas. These areas are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Examples include the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve and the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve.
Different Parts of the Park
Sam McDonald Park is split into two main parts by Pescadero Road. The northwest part is about 400 acres (160 ha). It is mostly covered with beautiful redwood trees. The southeast part is about 450 acres (180 ha). This area has open ridges and grassy hills.
Right next to the southeastern part of Sam McDonald Park is Heritage Grove Redwood Preserve. This preserve has 37 acres (15 ha) of very old redwood trees. These ancient trees grow along Alpine Creek.
- San Mateo County History Stories - 21 - Sam McDonald on Vimeo
