Park Projects

Over the years, the San Mateo County Parks Foundation has supported larger capital improvements to the parks, ranging from the permitting and building of an entirely new education center at Edgewood Preserve to accessibility enhancements for pathways and picnic areas at Sanchez Adobe and Memorial Park. Read on for more about some of our current and past park projects.

100 Years and Counting at Memorial Park

Memorial Park, beloved by generations of local families, turned 100 in 2024. Named for the San Mateo County men who lost their lives during World War I, this special place first had to be saved from logging before it could become a park – the first park in the San Mateo County Parks system. Since 1924, many friends and families have come to Memorial Park to camp, hike, picnic, play in the creek and relax among the redwoods.

Memorial Park had been showing its age, but not so anymore. Thanks to the San Mateo County Parks Department showing a lot of love and attention, this park was spruced up in time for last year’s centennial celebration. They made significant infrastructure investments at Memorial Park, including new water and wastewater treatment plants, new restroom/ shower buildings, a new dog-friendly campground, and much more.

The San Mateo County Parks Foundation has been complementing these investments with improvements that are sustainable, accessible, and inspiring. This has included:

• safety barriers, interpretive displays, and seating at a Pescadero Creek crossing
• energy efficient upgrades to the ranger station such as new double-paned windows and recessed LED lighting
• a custom-made redwood countertop and fresh coat of interior paint
• completely redone ranger station restrooms with new low-flow plumbing fixtures and accessibility improvements
• redwood lumber for picnic tables and barbecue grills at campsites
• accessibility enhancements at the Tan Oak Flat picnic area and the gathering space adjacent to the nature center
• a soon-to-open and freshened up nature center with new murals and displays

 

Donate today to support projects, programs, and people at Memorial Park. We thank you!

 

Coyote Point

By far one of the most popular San Mateo County parks, Coyote Point is a gem on the bay and packs a lot into its 149 acres. Every day sees walkers, runners and cyclists enjoying its trails. Families with young children seek out a fun time at Magic Mountain playground. Kite-flyers and windsurfers come to take advantage of the park’s perfect windy conditions.

Coyote Point is easily accessible and welcomes thousands of people every month. Coyote Point offers so much to the community, and in return we can show it some love as well. We have our Coyote Point Stewardship Fund to help park rangers make needed improvements. In recent years, this has included:

• the new, blue shade shelters near the beach picnic areas
• maintaining a healthy tree canopy, by removing hazardous eucalyptus trees
• ensuring park rangers have the necessary tools for increased maintenance demands

Tree health and safety is of particular interest to the Parks Foundation. Stressed and unhealthy eucalyptus trees can drop limbs and attract pests, most notably the longhorned borer. This only adds to the stress of the tree. The removal of unhealthy trees around picnic sites has been a priority for the Foundation as has removing tree stumps left after winter storms destruction.

Close-to-home parks are an easy respite in our busy, overwhelming world. On the bay, Coyote Point has plenty of nooks and trails to calm an active mind or invigorate a tired soul. You can bring your dog, ride a bike, or set sail from this rocky outcrop.

 

Make a gift today and apply your donation to Coyote Point. Your support is greatly appreciated!

 

Past Projects

Sanchez Adobe

Sanchez Adobe is the second-oldest building in San Mateo County and a remarkable living history site that tells the story of three major periods in California history. The site was once an Ohlone village called Pruristac, then a Spanish Mission farm, a cattle ranch, the home of Don Francisco Sanchez during the Mexican period, and later, a residence of General Edward Kirkpatrick during the early American period. It later became a hotel, a speakeasy and an artichoke storage facility before becoming a national historic landmark and part of the San Mateo County Parks system.

Sanchez Adobe is a popular destination for school children learning about life on a Californio rancho. To complement the significant investments made by the County of San Mateo and San Mateo County Historical Association, the San Mateo County Parks Foundation invested in the following site improvements:

• a new universal access pathway with a smooth surface for accessing the grounds
• additional native tree plantings

 

This project was completed in 2018.

Bill and Jean Lane Education Center

The Bill and Jean Lane Education Center at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve is an early and beloved project of the San Mateo County Parks Foundation. The Education Center opened to the public in 2011 and in 2012, Sustainable San Mateo County recognized it with an honorable mention in green building. Watch the video here.

The Education Center is open 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and Wednesdays 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. It is staffed with Friends of Edgewood volunteers.