Sam McDonald Park
Near La Honda, San Mateo County, CA
- Size
- 795 acres Source
- Managed by
- San Mateo County Parks
About Sam McDonald Park
An 850-acre park about 3 miles west of La Honda on Pescadero Road. Source
Sam McDonald, a unique and interesting 850-acre facility, is located approximately 3 miles west of La Honda on Pescadero Road. The park actually represents contrast between two separate natural environments. The northwesterly half, near 400 acres between Pescadero Creek Road and Highway 84, is principally a lush growth redwood forest. The 450-acre portion, southeasterly , is primarily open ridge, grassy knolls and patchy brush areas.
Know before you go
Sam McDonald Park covers 795 acres near La Honda in San Mateo County. 12 named trails add up to about 9.5 miles inside the park; the longest is Heritage Grove Trail at 2.5 miles, and Heritage Grove Trail has the most up and down (about 1,207 feet). Mapped trails range from 316 to 1,141 feet in elevation. OpenStreetMap shows 2 parking areas, plus 1 restroom and 1 drinking fountain.
Facilities
- Drinking Water
- Picnic Area
- Restrooms
Facility details: OpenStreetMap
Sam McDonald Park at a glance
- PParking · 2
- WCRestrooms · 1
- WDrinking water · 1
- Named trails · 12
© OpenStreetMap · CPAD · About this map
Trails
| Trail | Mapped length | Elevation | Surface & uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Grove Trail | 2.5 mi | 1,207 ft up & down560–1,106 ft | No bikesNo horsesUnpaved |
| Ridge Fire Road | 1.3 mi | 583 ft up & down914–1,135 ft | No bikesHorses |
| Towne Fire Road | 1 mi | 490 ft up & down660–1,141 ft | No bikesHorses |
| Old Stage Road | 1 mi | 750 ft up & down316–1,011 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorses |
| Uncle Man Road | 1 mi | 648 ft up & down351–719 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorses |
| Forest Loop Trail | 1 mi | 520 ft up & down670–940 ft | UnpavedNo bikesNo horses |
| Big Tree Trail | 0.5 mi | 328 ft up & down663–919 ft | No bikesNo horses |
| Youth Camp Trail | 0.4 mi | 169 ft up & down557–693 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorses |
| Chinock Trail | 0.3 mi | 71 ft up & down636–734 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorses |
| West Brook Trail | 0.2 mi | 47 ft up & down1,028–1,088 ft | No bikesHorses |
| East Brook Trail | 0.2 mi | 61 ft up & down1,035–1,118 ft | No bikesNo horses |
| Towne Fire Road;Big Tree Trail | 0.1 mi | 46 ft up & down832–890 ft | No bikesHorses |
Compared with nearby parks
Among the 20 other parks in this guide within 10 miles, Sam McDonald Park is number 14 of 21 by size at 795 acres. 12 nearby parks have more mapped trail mileage than its 9.5 miles.
Closest places for what Sam McDonald Park doesn't list:
- Playground: Huddart Park (9.4 mi)
- Camping: Memorial Park (2.2 mi)
- Tennis Courts: Windy Hill Open Space Preserve (4.6 mi)
Rules & reservations
Official park pageMap & directions
13435 Pescadero Creek Rd. Loma Mar, CA 94021
Nearby parks
Straight-line distanceContinue exploring
San Mateo County parksSources & verification
Last verified: Oct 15, 2026- California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
- Dogs at San Mateo County Parksdogs
- San Mateo County Parks park pageofficial_url, address, description, fees
- Park hours pagehours
- San Mateo County Parks fees and chargesfees
- OpenStreetMap facilities and trailsfacilities.drinking-water, facilities.picnic-area, facilities.restrooms, trails
- U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries (nearest place)city
- OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
- Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
- Official park page (introduction excerpt)intro