Set midway between Half Moon Bay and Pescadero, where Tunitas Creek empties into the Pacific, is Tunitas Creek Beach. The wide, sandy beach is hemmed in by 100-foot sandstone cliffs that shape a natural amphitheater. Just north of the creek mouth, those cliffs once held “Gordon’s Chute,” a ramp built in 1872 by Alexander Gordon to slide farm goods down from the cliff tops to ships anchored below. A storm took out the chute in 1885, though eyebolts from the original structure still sit in the cliff face.
For much of its modern history the beach was inaccessible without trespassing on private land, including nearly two decades when it belonged to musician Chris Isaak, from 1998 to 2017. That year, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) bought the 58-acre property, and in 2020 it was transferred to San Mateo County with plans for a public park. The path to opening day wound through pandemic delays, the CZU Fire, and two landslides.
On August 17, 2026, the property opened to the public as Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach, named for the former county supervisor who championed its creation. It is San Mateo County’s first brand-new park in more than a decade. From the blufftop, visitors are greeted by scenic overlooks, picnic areas, and interpretive exhibits, while accessible trails run down to nearly a mile of sand that generations of Highway 1 travelers have been able to see only from above.
The park is open every day starting at 8 a.m., with closing times that shift with the seasons. There is no admission fee. Blufftop parking holds around 80 vehicles, and includes EV charging, a bike rack, and a bike repair station for riders making their way down the coast.
