San Mateo County Birding Guide by Sequoia Audubon Society - Printed on October 30, 2026
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Water Dog Lake is the best-known and most central section of the Belmont Canyon. Many canyon areas in San Mateo county were spared development because of their steep terrain, which now provides aerobic exercise for hikers, mountain bikers, dog-walkers and birders. The 'lake' in this case is actually a reservoir built by the wealthy if infamous banker, William C. Ralston, in the nineteenth century, to water his orchards and luxurious plantings.
For a variety of reasons, this is not a great park for bird-watching. It is aptly named, as dog-walkers are a constant presence, both in and out of the water. This has a tendency to suppress visible bird activity. Second, mountain bikers speeding through makes some of the trails hazardous for the more leisurely bird-watcher. Third, the proximity of the canyon to some of Belmont's schools means that children and teenagers use the area a lot; you don't want to be attempting a quiet hour of birding here when school lets out!
What the park does have to recommend it, though, is the presence of water, and a dense variety of habitats in a small space, due to the narrowness of the canyon. You can see many of the oak-obligate species here (Oak Titmouse, Hutton's Vireo, California Quail), joined by fly-over species intrigued by the water (Osprey). You will also get some legitimate exercise (most approaches to the lake will involve an elevation gain of 200-300 feet at some point), yet most of the trails here can be productively birded in well under two hours. For Belmont residents - especially for birders who are also dog-owners - this park deserves a visit and close attention to its avian rhythms.
The basic trail to the park has two starting points: off Hallmark, and from the corner of Lake and Lyall (see directions below). If you want an extensive hike, consider hiking the length of the Lake Road Trail (#2 on the map below), preferably with a car parked at either end. This trail can also be accessed from Ralston Middle School (see trail #14 on map). As of this writing (July 2011), the Water Dog Lake Loop Trail (#13) is closed for habitat restoration.
Water Dog Lake has been a favorite hiking place with locals for generations now. However, it also has a troubled history. Its builder, William C. Ralston, drowned in San Francisco Bay soon after his bank was shown to be insolvent in 1875. Over a hundred years later, this park was the scene of a tragic murder in 1984; this has led to the park becoming a favorite for ghost stalkers. While the habitat looks promising for owling, this author does not recommend it, whether from fear of violence, fear of mountain lions, fear of humans, or desire to spook other humans. The park is heavily used during the daylight hours, though, and no one should be afraid to use it then.
Mallard, Common Goldeneye, California Quail, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Osprey (uncommon), Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Coot, Killdeer, California Gull, Caspian Tern (rare flyover), Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird (spring-summer), Great Horned Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher (spring-summer), Black Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher (spring-summer), Hutton's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Western Scrub-Jay, Steller's Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Cliff Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (fall-spring), Wrentit, California Thrasher, American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson's Warbler (spring-summer), Townsend's Warbler (fall-winter), Yellow-rumped Warbler (fall-spring), California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Phainopepla (2012)
This park, being located just west of Ralston Avenue, should be accessed from Ralston. There are two easy places to connect to the trail system. Going southeast on Ralston from SR92, go right on Hallmark, the first major street to your right. There is a small parking area on your left, just past Benson Way, with space for two cars to park (some maps refer to this small nub of a parking area as "Lake Road").
The park can also be accessed from the south side, by parking at the intersection of Lake and Lyall. From Ralston, heading southeast, make a right turn at the light onto Cipriani/Continental. Bear left almost immediately, then continue left on Lyall. Your first right is Lake; turn and park here. The entrance to the park is off of Lyall, just before Lake.
There are no fees connected with using this park, or any part of the extensive Belmont city trail system.
Dawn to Dusk. Seriously, dawn to dusk. This park should not be visited at night: there are dangers from Mountain Lions and our fellow humans.
This park is a known Mountain Lion spot. Don't go here after dark, is the advice of this author. Additionally, there are rattlesnakes, ticks, stinging nettle, and poison oak: stay on trail! The park is also used by mountain bikers on narrow trails, so be aware of that when you stop in the middle of a trail to look for a flitting warbler in a tree. As previously mentioned, the park is frequented by dog walkers.
There are no facilities here. Get what you need, and take care of your physical needs, in Belmont.
Water Dog Lake Park is maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Belmont. They can be reached at 650-595-7441, or by email at parksrec@belmont.gov.
Water Dog Lake is a hotspot in eBird, but suffers from a paucity of data - only 72 species in 15 time quadrants. The Belmont Canyon area, in general, is underbirded, so please submit entries to eBird.
The iNaturalist place location for Water Dog Lake Canyon has been helped by some avid naturalists who live in the area, and has a good deal of information - but it could use more!
Sequoia Audubon Society has had only two field trips to Water Dog Lake, widely separated in time (1963 and 1982). A trip to the southern end of the open space, known as Belmont Canyon, was held in 1979. As people have explored their neighborhood parks more during the time of COVID, perhaps your knowledge of these interconnected parks has increased. If so: Volunteer to lead a field trip today!
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