San Mateo County Birding Guide by Sequoia Audubon Society - Printed on October 30, 2026
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This large Open Space Preserve will reveal itself, on even a casual visit, to be a hidden gem: in almost any other part of the state, a park of this beauty and habitat diversity would be considered an outstanding site for avian wonders. But here in San Mateo county, it is undervisited and underappreciated, because there are so many accessible and birdy places to go. El Corte de Madera, though, does not deserve to be neglected. One reason to explore here is because this park hosts some of the more unusual breeding birds in the county, as well as being pleasant and cool at anytime during summer.
The easiest entry point into this park is from the Skeggs Vista Point on the east side of Skyline Boulevard (SR 35). Park there and walk 150 yards north to the El Corte Madera Creek Open Space Preserve on the west side of Skyline. Be forewarned: this preserve's signage is not easily visible from the road. There is another parking space a bit south of Skeggs Point, but Skeggs is recommended because it is large enough and open enough to give you good looks at birds. This steep, heavily forested area is one of the best places in the county for breeding birds associated with higher elevation in summer, such as Hermit Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker, and Pygmy Nuthatch. While this author has visited only a few trails in the park, the loop formed by the El Corte Madera Creek Trail and the Tafoni Trail is an invigorating hike, with enough changes of habitat to produce a substantial bird list. The Tafoni Trail also has a short spur to some interesting Sandstone Formations. If one walks primarily southeast from the parking area, on the Sierra Morena Trail, you will find a "back door" to Wunderlich Park 1.4 miles south of Skegg's Vista Point (see article on Wunderlich in this guide). As the author and others try different routes, this article will expand; please feel free to share your expertise with this expansive park by emailing the editor.
El Corte de Madera OSP is bounded by beautiful roadways: Skyline Boulevard (SR 35) to the southeast, Bear Gulch Road to the south, and Star Hill Road to the northwest. These roads are not only narrow and often dark due to lush forest growth, but they are used by motorcyclists and bicyclists. Please use extreme caution when driving in this area, or looking for safe places to park or pull-over.
California Quail, Turkey Vulture, Osprey (uncommon, flyover bird), Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher (uncommon at this location), Western Wood-Pewee (uncommon at this location), Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Cassin's Vireo (uncommon, migration), Hutton's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Peregrine Falcon (uncommon here), Steller's Jay, California Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, House Wren, Pacific Wren, Bewick's Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (rare here), Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Wrentit, Swainson's Thrush (uncommon here), Hermit Thrush (breeds), American Robin, Varied Thrush (fall/winter bird), Orange-crowned Warbler, Hermit Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler (rare at this location), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler (uncommon here), Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red Crossbill, Purple Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Pine Siskin
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Evening Grosbeak (2020)
The basic starting point for trips into El Corte de Madera OSP is from the Skeggs Point lookout parking lot. This is located along Skyline Boulevard (SR 35) between Kings Mountain Road and Woodside Road (SR 84). If you are approaching Skeggs Point from the north, it is posted as illegal to make the left-hand turn into the Skeggs Point parking lot. You should travel south of the parking lot and make a U-turn where it is safe.
The park is free for all to use.
Officially the park is open during daylight hours.
This park is inordinately popular with mountain bicyclists, who have access to almost all trails; be prepared for swift onrushing cyclists. Make sure to look ahead of yourself on the trails, to be better prepared for the onslaught. The Bay Area Hiker websites (listed below) even discouraged use on weekends because of the mountain bikers' pre-eminence here. This territory can also include Mountain Lions and, in some open areas, rattlesnakes.
There are no facilities at El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. Take care of your needs beforehand and elsewhere. There are a few stores and restaurants at the corner of Woodside Road (SR 84) and Skyline (SR 35), a few miles south of El Corte de Madera OSP.
To report an emergency on Open Space District Land, call (650) 968-4411.
To contact the Open Space offices for non-urgent matters regarding El Corte de Madera OSP, call (650) 691-1200.
El Corte de Madera Creek OSP is a hotspot in eBird, with thirty-four of forty-eight quadrants holding data. The hotspot information page is here. Let's continue to improve this collectively, to better understand the unusual breeding birds that bring such beautiful song here in the late spring and early summer months.
El Corte de Madera, being an especially rich location for fungi and lichens, has attracted a lot of attention from eager iNaturalist enthusiasts, as you can see here.
Despite its vast size and rugged beauty, Sequoia Audubon Society has never sponsored a field trip to El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. Back in 1957, there was a sponsored trip to Skeggs Point, which likely included much of the land that is now part of the Open Space Preserve.
Author: Jennifer Rycenga, Uploaded: