Sam McDonald County Park

Sam McDonald County Park sits in the redwoods about 3 miles west of La Honda on Pescadero Road. San Mateo County Parks describes two landscapes in one park. The northwest part, roughly 400 acres between Pescadero Creek Road and Highway 84, is mostly lush redwood forest. The southeast part, about 450 acres, is open ridge, grassy knolls and patchy brush, with views of the Butano and Skyline ridges and the Pacific Ocean.

The county gives the park's size as 850 acres on its main page and 867 acres on its history page. The county groups it with Pescadero Creek and Memorial parks as one wooded trail complex. It also has a strong Palo Alto connection. The park is named for a Stanford groundskeeper who lived in Mayfield, the town that became south Palo Alto. This guide covers getting there, hours and fees, the trails and the man behind the name.

Getting there and parking

From Palo Alto, take Interstate 280 north to Woodside Road (Highway 84) and follow it west through Woodside, over Skyline Boulevard and down to La Honda. From there, follow Pescadero Road west to the park. The address is 13435 Pescadero Creek Road, Loma Mar. The drive is long and winding, so allow plenty of time and watch for cyclists. Our Woodside guide covers stops along the first part of the route.

The main parking lot is the start for most trails. Heritage Grove also has a small trailhead lot off Alpine Road, according to the county. There is no transit.

Hours and fees

The county says the park is open every day of the year, including holidays. It opens at 8 a.m. and the closing time changes with the season. The 2026 schedule:

Hours may change for weather or emergencies. Check the county's Sam McDonald page and its advisories.

The park page links to the county's vehicle entry fee waiver program. San Mateo County's fee schedule lists a vehicle entry fee of $6 and an individual annual pass of $72. It waives entry for veterans with proof of status, vehicles with disabled plates or placards and seniors 62 and older on non-holiday weekdays. Fees can change, so confirm at the entrance.

Trails

The county says several miles of trail meander through the wooded park complex, from a one-hour stroll to an all-day hike. It also warns that the trails section of its website is being updated and that some descriptions may be wrong. Use the current park map or brochure. These are the distances the county publishes:

Heritage Grove

The county calls Heritage Grove a magnificent old-growth redwood forest on Alpine Creek and says it is considered to have the largest redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Many of its trees were scheduled to be logged until a citizens' group raised money to buy the grove, with matching county funds. The 37-acre preserve adjoins the park to the northeast. Horses are not allowed on the Heritage Grove Trail.

Big Tree Trail

For a short visit, this loop from the main lot is the county's pick for hikers with limited time who want to see old-growth redwoods.

Dogs, bikes and horses

The county's regulations for Sam McDonald:

• Dogs: dogs and other pets are not allowed.
• Bikes: motor vehicles and bicycles are permitted only on paved roadways and in established parking areas. The county's trails page describes Towne Fire Road as used by hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, so ask a ranger before riding it.
• Horses: permitted only on designated trails. Riders staying at Jack Brook Horse Camp can use the Brook Trail Loop, Butano Ridge Loop, Tarwater Loop, Bear Ridge and Old Haul Road trails. The county closes all single-track trails for winter after the first significant rains. Fire roads stay open to horses as weather allows. No rental horses are available.
• Also: stay on designated trails, picnic only in designated areas and do not pick wildflowers, gather wood or feed wildlife. Beer and wine only are allowed in certain areas. Smoking, firearms and amplified music are prohibited.

Camps and the hikers' hut

Jack Brook Horse Camp can be reserved by people with horses for overnight stays between May 1 and October 31. Three youth campsites in the north of the park, Chinook, Choctaw and Modoc, are for youth groups such as scouts and schools. The Sierra Club Hikers' Hut, a camping facility in the park, is reserved through the Sierra Club. For family car camping, look at the county's other parks; our Pescadero and the coast guide covers the area.

Seasons and current notices

The county lists the elevation as running from 400 feet along Alpine Creek to over 1,300 feet on Towne Ridge. In wet months, ferns, mosses and mushrooms appear across the forest floor. The county warns visitors not to pick or eat wild mushrooms. Spring brings trillium and redwood violet in the shade and poppies and sticky monkey flower on the dry ridges. Our wildflowers guide covers timing. Summer days under the redwoods are cool, while the open ridge gets sun.

The county posted on October 29, 2026 that Ridge Fire Road will be closed November 4 to 6 while crews mow invasive French broom on the La Honda shaded fuel break. With the early winter closing time of 5 p.m. from November 2, start hikes early.

Safety

• Daylight: the gate schedule is strict. Plan to be back at the car before closing.
• Mushrooms: the county says do not pick or eat them.
• Firewood: the county asks visitors to buy firewood where they burn it to avoid spreading forest pests.
• Poison oak is common in many parts of the park, the county notes.
• Wildlife: deer, bobcats, foxes and snakes live here. Do not feed any animal.
• Emergencies: call 911. The park office number is 650-879-0238.

Who was Sam McDonald?

The county's history tells the story. Emanuel "Sam" McDonald, a descendant of enslaved people, was born in Louisiana in 1884. After moving several times he settled in Mayfield, now south Palo Alto. In 1903 he took a job as a teamster for Stanford. His Stanford career lasted some 50 years. He rose to superintendent of athletic grounds and buildings. He also took a correspondence course in law and served as a Treasury Department Secret Service agent, a deputy constable for Palo Alto Township and a deputy sheriff for Santa Clara County.

McDonald stood 6 feet 4 inches and became part of Stanford legend. University president Ray Lyman Wilbur once said he was glad he did not have to run against Sam for office. McDonald championed the Stanford Convalescent Home for children on campus, planting gardens and cooking barbecues for the children. The county says the home was named in his honor. He began buying land along Alpine Creek in 1917 with a two-room cabin. When he died in November 1957 he left more than 400 acres to Stanford, asking that it be used as a park for young people. San Mateo County bought the land in 1958 for $67,000 and dedicated it for public use in 1970. It added 450 acres from Kendall B. Towne in 1976. Read more about the university in our Stanford history. For more trails, see our hiking guide and the nearby La Honda Creek Preserve.

Frequently asked questions