Pilarcitos Lake–Brooks Creek Trail, 3 sights is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in San Francisco Peninsula Watershed near Linda Mar, CA. The route reaches Pilarcitos Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 3,385 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi174 – 1,864 ft · steepest grade: 17%16.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Plaskon Nature Trail 37.57887, -122.47476
Nearest town Linda Mar, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Pilarcitos Lake–Brooks Creek Trail, 3 sights
16.1 mi · ▲ 3,385 ft · 7 hr 4 min
Elevation 174–1,862 ft
Out & Back · San Francisco Peninsula Watershed
Trailhead: Plaskon Nature Trail · 37.57887, -122.47476
Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 69°F / low 58° · precip 3% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:17 PM
Transit-accessible: Oddstad Boulevard & Terra Nova Boulevard stop 443 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Plaskon Nature Trail, heading S.
- 500 ftBear left onto Montara Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 150 ftBear left onto Old Trout Farm Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left onto Montara Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 1 miSharp left onto North Peak Access Road, heading SW.
- 1.7 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 2.2 miBear right, heading E.
- 2 miReach Pilarcitos Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2 miBear left, heading NW.
- 3.9 miSharp right onto Montara Mountain Trail, heading N.
- 1 miTurn right onto Old Trout Farm Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 1 miBear right onto Montara Mountain Trail, heading NE.
- 150 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Plaskon Nature Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
27% dirt73% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 69°F58°
Precip3%Wind9 mphUV8Humidity58%
Hourly temperature
70°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:17 PM
Wed
68°55°
Thu
77°57°
Fri
81°56°
Sat
73°54°
Sun
70°53°
Mon
70°54°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.1 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 7:11 PM for the 8:17 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:59 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Oddstad Boulevard & Terra Nova Boulevard stop 443 m from the trailhead
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Plaskon Nature Trail Trailhead
- Valley View Trail Loop 1.9 mi · ▲ 435 ft
- Brooks Creek Trail & Montara Mountain Trail 4.3 mi · ▲ 1,204 ft
- Peak Mountain–Brooks Creek Trail, 3 sights 6.1 mi · ▲ 1,670 ft
- Hazelnut Trail–Valley View Trail, 3 sights 9 mi · ▲ 1,878 ft
- Brooks Creek Trail–Montara Mountain Trail, 3 sights 12.9 mi · ▲ 2,835 ft
- Historic "Old Colma Rd" (1879-1915) Viewpoint–Brooks Creek Trail, 3 sights 13.7 mi · ▲ 3,469 ft
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