Will You Watch The Pacific From Wilbur’s Watch?

Straight out, let me tell you that Wilbur’s Watch trail turned out to be one of my favorite hikes in recent times. I liked it just as much as the Mori Point hike. I mention Mori Point because it was quite like that one: not too long a trail, there’s ascent and descent, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

Wilbur’s Watch Trailhead is just a stone’s throw from Pigeon Point Lighthouse, south of Pescadero in San Mateo County, California. 

Wilbur’s Watch Trail

It was a not-so-cold, dry winter day in January. We passed the lighthouse as we drove south and then almost missed the left turn to Pigeon Point Road. Then we sort of missed the road to the trailhead parking (because there was a confusing sign out there. More about that, later.).

There was not another car on the lot and I was surprised that it was so. It was a clear winter day after all — you know — when the winter showers were taking a break and we’re dying to go out.  Anyway, there at the end of the lot was the trail — nice and green and inviting. It was not a narrow path and it promised views of the San Mateo Coast all the way up.

A few minutes and a couple of switchbacks later we came upon a log-bench on a curve. The point offered a beautiful view of the lighthouse and a beach further south of the coast. And because it was an uphill trail and we were feeling it, we were wondering if we were already at the end of the hike. Then we saw an older couple making their way down another hill and towards us. 

So further on we went. A few more switchbacks and a few more meters up the hill, we were wondering if we were on the right path when we saw something white just below a yellow house on top of the hill. That was when I remembered I had read about a telescope at the overlook at the end of the trail. 

Note: It is only a 2-mile hike —a mile up and a mile down, obviously — but the walk up sure felt a little longer and the way down, shorter than a mile. Look for the telescope. It’s like setting your eye on the prize. 

Further up the trail and still below the telescope, the path seemed to go past the overlook, and I was thinking we might have missed the way up to the vista point. And then I remembered that there was something else I had read about — an old windmill near the top.

Note: It is when you are where you can see the windmill that you take a left to the top of the hill. Go straight on, and you might be prosecuted for trespassing. 

When you get to the top, these are the views you are rewarded with. 

Ah, those views! Now, couldn’t that be in the running for one’s favorite hikes? The best part is that you get to see this view all through the hike. Only that it will be from different heights and that makes it all the better.

*Wilbur’s Watch is named after and dedicated to Colburn Wilbur who worked to preserve California’s native landscape.

Tips for this hiking trip:

• Layer up. There was only a very-pleasant breeze blowing that day but I reckon it could be cold on some days. 
• Remember the way up might seem longer than a mile. But seriously, it is still a fairly easy hike. The views are as gorgeous as the pictures tell you. 
• There’s a bench you can rest on somewhere below the halfway mark.
•  Wear good shoes. If you are hiking in the wet months, you might pass a few slushy patches (and animal waste) on the way. 
• The overlook — as I mentioned before — is just below the building you see at the top of the hill. At one point you might notice tire-tracks leading up to the telescope. That is the way to the house up there but you could find a short cut to the overlook, on the way up. If you would like to stick to the trail, there’s one more bend (another switchback) and you’ll be led up to the overlook.
• If you are feeling lost, look for the telescope and the windmill and you’ll know if you are on the right path.
• Watch out for the poison oak at the top. 
• If you are going in spring, I hear, the place is prettier with wildflowers draping the hillsides. 
  

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