Laurie Meadows and Casanova Parks Description & Information

Laurie Meadows and Casanova Parks

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Park Entrance

Description

Area Habitats
Suburban Park, Riparian

Print Page
without images

These two contiguous parks have much to recommend them for small birding excursions. Laurel Creek, in channelized form, separates them, with an excellent bridge look-out. There is a small water flow on the west side of the bridge from a large pipe, which creates feeding opportunities for waterfowl. The open lawn of the meadow provides plenty of space for looking skyward, and the mix of native and planted trees offer intriguing possibilities for migrating passerines. The park also serves as a multi-purpose site, since dog-walking and playground activities are available for birders with canines, children, or both. This park also has a flat, paved trail around its entire length, making it ideal for wheelchair birding and those with mobility issues generally. The proximity of the parks to Belmont Slough (separated by US101), increases the chances of seeing something interesting in the sky above the Meadows.

If you park at Casanova, you are closer to the best birding spot - Laurel Creek. However, there is more on street parking available along Laurie Meadows Drive. Playgrounds are located in both Casanova and Laurie Meadows. The enclosed Dog Park is located just over the bridge on the Laurie Meadows side.

Look For These Birds

Canada Goose, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, American Coot, California Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher (in migration), Black Phoebe, American Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick's Wren, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler

Rarities Seen Here

In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Be the first to find one!

Birding Area Map

Directions

Laurie Meadows Drive runs east of Pacific Boulevard/Old County Road near the boundary of San Mateo and Belmont. If coming from US 101, take the Ralston exit, head west, then turn right onto Old County Road. There is a light at Laurie Meadows Drive; take a right there and the park will be on your left in about a quarter of a mile. For GPS purposes, the official address is 111 Laurie Meadows Dr., San Mateo.
To reach the Casanova Park entrance is a bit trickier. The official address is 4012 Casanova Drive, San Mateo. The easiest way to describe how to reach it would be to take 40th Avenue east from Pacific Boulevard, then after about a third of a mile, take a right on Casanova. But to be honest, reaching this entrance is the reason that they made GPS devices. There are too many odd traffic circles and bends in the roads through this residential area to make a verbal description worthwhile.

Interactive Map

Red Markers: Parking Area or Trail Head
Hover mouse pointer over marker, or click marker, for pin identification.
Use + or - buttons to change map zoom. Click & Drag to pan.

Fees

There are no fees associated with this site.

Hours

Officially 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. Remember that this is a residential area, should you choose to come here in the early morning or late evening.

Hazards

Watch your step! Open lawn + canines = potential for smelly shoes!

Facilities

Rest rooms at Casanova Park. Picnic tables, recycling and garbage cans at both Laurie Meadows and Casanova.

Accessibility

Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.

Contact

City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Office can be reached at 650-522-7400.

Avian Research Status

The eBird hotspot for Laurie Meadows and Casanova Parks is fairly new and underutilized, with data in a mere nine of forty-eight time quadrants representing 39 species. But if your editor/author is correct, this could grow over the years into a good quick-stop spot because of the variety of habitats, presence of water, handicap accessibility, and opportunities for dogs and children to be with you when you visit here.