‘Mori Point’ at the end of this hike

If I were to make a list of kid-friendly hikes in the San Francisco Bay area, Mori Point in Pacifica would easily fall into the top five on it. Here, you have not one but a few great trails varying in difficulty levels. What pushes these trails to the top of the list is not just the fact that they are family friendly ones.  The terrain and the views are great too.

Mori Point is a bluff that juts off Pacifica and into the Pacific. You can take the straight trail through the fully flat trail to the bottom of the bluff or you can take the trails that go over hills. They all take you through different kinds of landscapes and each trail is topped off with views of the Pacific Ocean.

Now let me take you through the trails that we ‘tried-and-tested’ and I now highly recommend.

Recommended Trails 

Our plan was to park at the parking lot on Mori Point Road and take the trail (Old Mori Trail) that led away from it. However, when we got there, it was around 11 a.m. and already overflowing. The cars had spilt on to the road and it took us some time to find parking room. We were at the end of the road before we found a spot. There we found another trail, which we chose to take, simply because it was the first one we saw.

As such, we got on to Upper Mori Trail till it intersected with Lishumsha Trail. Then we got on to the Coastal Trail followed by the Mori Headlands Trail which ended at the end of the bluff.

Follow these trails and you will be hiking through some windswept evergreen trees and then some shrubs and wildflowers. Then, as you walk over the hill there’s hardly any vegetation. In its stead, you will be shown views of the City of Pacifica and the Pacific Ocean from some vantage points.

Map courtesy: parkconservancy.org

The views from the hike to Mori Point

Upper Mori Trail going through some evergreen trees.

When the trail diverged here, we took the one that went uphill and found ourselves on the bluff — Mori Point.

Mori Point

And this is what the hike culminates in:

The Pacific Ocean from the bluff —

Sharp Park Beach and the City of Pacifica, CA —

A cove on the left side of Mori Point —

Another uphill trail

Mori Bluff Trail

Some pointers and tips for the hike to Mori Point:

• The hike through the trails mentioned in this post should be around 2 miles, on the whole.
• Difficulty levels – mild and moderate
• There are no restrooms on the way
• Make sure to carry some water.
• Recommended clothing: You might want to layer up
• Wear a good pair of shoes. You will be going uphill and downhill, and parts of the trail are quite gravelly.
• Go as early as possible in order to find a good parking spot.
• In addition to being kid-friendly, these trails are pet-friendly too. Just make sure your dogs are leashed.
• Most of these trails are jogging stroller/wheelchair friendly if you do not mind a bit of a bumpy ride.
• Exercise caution at the top of the bluff; the drops are quite steep (and there aren’t railings, there).

Happy hiking!

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Also, see:

Other Kid-friendly hikes on Tipsy from the TRIP

 Other posts on Pacifica, CA

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