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All or most of this park is closed due to damage from the CZU fire in 2020
Memorial Park is the smallest, but most visited, of the three contiguous county parks along the Pescadero Creek watershed (Sam McDonald and Pescadero Creek are the other two parks). While it is not a location that will yield a long species list, among local birders the park holds some fame because of its resident American Dippers.
Memorial Park has extensive campgrounds and picnic areas. On weekends and in summer it can be a busy (and noisy) place. But most of the areas that birders will find most interesting are at some distance from the hustle and bustle of the entrance area.
Orient your explorations of the park from the well-marked entrance along Pescadero Road. The hikes to Mt. Ellen, and higher elevations, are all located on the north side of Pescadero Road, while the creek, the campground, and other facilities are located on the south side of the road.
The most accessible spot in the county for American Dipper is from the bridge on Wurr Street, on the eastern edge of Memorial Park. Wurr Street is located just a few hundred yards east of the park entrance; turn south from Pescadero Road, and park near the bridge. The Dippers have nested under this bridge. If you have just a moment, search for the dippers from either side of the bridge; a good hint is to look for guano on rocks in the stream (but beware: Black Phoebes use these same rocks, for the same purpose). If you do not see them from the bridge, walk the Creek Trail, either from the entrance area, or from Wurr Street (the access from Wurr Street was damaged by a fallen tree in 2009).
Among the other areas south of Pescadero Road, Sequoia Flats Campground has proven to have considerable bird activity, including nesting raptors and detections of rarities such as Pileated Woodpecker and Marbled Murrelet.
The trails on the north side of Pescadero Road are longer, and provide elevation gain that takes you out of Redwood habitat. Mt. Ellen Nature Trail and Mt. Ellen summit trail form short loops, with many switchbacks, providing an elevation gain of about 500 feet. The Pomponio Trail, with a loop distance of 3.5 miles, climbs around the edges of a wooded valley, and moves through a few different habitats. At the top of the trail, just shy of 1000 feet elevation, the landscape opens up. The views are spectacular from amidst classic California chaparral.
The park's name comes from its being dedicated to the memory of San Mateo county residents who died in WW1. During the 1930s, it was a Works Project Administration (WPA) site, with many of the trails and facilities dating from that historic stimulus package.
Mallard, Common Merganser, Wood Duck, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Green Heron (rare at this location), Great Blue Heron (rare at this location), Turkey Vulture, Osprey (fly-over), Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin (uncommon here), Peregrine Falcon (uncommon here), Marbled Murrelet, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove (mercifully rare here as of yet), Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Barn Owl (unusual), Western Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Vaux's Swift (rare at this location), White-throated Swift (rare at this location), Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird (spring-summer), Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker (primarily fall and winter, but might be a rare breeder here), Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker (rare here), Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher (spring-summer), Western Wood-Pewee (spring-summer), Black Phoebe, Hutton's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, California Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, American Crow (unusual at this location), Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch (unusual at this location), Pygmy Nuthatch, American Dipper, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (fall-winter), Wrentit, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, California Thrasher, Western Bluebird, American Robin, Hermit Thrush (fall-winter), Swainson's Thrush (spring-summer), Varied Thrush (fall-winter, but also a rare breeder), Hermit Warbler (in spring and summer, but also very rare in winter), Townsend's Warbler (fall-winter), Yellow-rumped Warbler (fall-spring), Wilson's Warbler (spring-summer), Black-throated Grey Warbler (rare here), Orange-crowned Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, Song Sparrow, House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, Red Crossbill (uncommon and eruptive), House Sparrow
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Wild Turkey, Golden Eagle, Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Hooded Warbler (2010)
Memorial Park is located along Pescadero Road, about eight miles east of SR1 along the coast. It can also be reached by traveling south from Skyline, along either Alpine Road or SR 84 to Alpine Road; Pescadero Road goes west from Alpine Road. The entrance is clearly marked.
Red Markers: Parking Area or Trail Head
Hover mouse pointer over marker, or click marker, for pin identification.
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There is a $5.00 day use fee. Camping rates should be checked on the website. A County Parks pass can be used for day use parking here.
Because there is camping here, access is always possible for campers. However, day users are supposed to clear the trails, picnic areas and parking lots before dark. Day use hours begin at 8:00 am, while closing times change through the seasons; see park website for more information.
There are rattlesnakes in the area, and abundant poison oak in the habitats other than Redwood forest.
The park features camping and picnic areas. During busy seasons, there is even a store on the premises. A pay phone is located in the office/nature center. Restrooms can be found in the picnic areas. Nearby Loma Mar, and the town of Pescadero, have more emporia and (expensive) fuel.
Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.
The official street address for Memorial Park is 9500 Pescadero Creek Road, Loma Mar 94021. The phone number for the park is (650) 879-0238.
Memorial Park (SM Co.) is a hotpot in eBird, with 85 species in 34 time quadrants. The hotspot information page can be examined here.
This park was the site of a BioBlitz in 2014, with the results posted here. This blitz gained fame when an observation of a Pacific False Bindweed led to a change in subspecies designation, as recorded here.
Marbled Murrelets have been known to breed in the park. Because of their tenuous status locally, please report any detections of Marbled Murrelets to peninsula-birds.
Including the aforementioned BioBlitz, Memorial Park has been the site of six scheduled Sequoia Audubon Society field trips.
Small sections of Memorial Park were affected by the CZU Complex Fires in August-September 2020. Please join the iNaturalist project charting the response to this fire - the largest in southwestern San Mateo county in over a century - by visiting its home page here.
Views from top of Pomponio Trail, Memorial County Park, August 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
American Dipper, Wurr Road Bridge, Memorial County Park, May 2013 (Donna Pomeroy)
Pileated Woodpecker, Wurr Road, Memorial County Park, May 2013 (Donna Pomeroy)
Common Merganser couple, seen from the Wurr Street Bridge, Memorial County Park, April 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Entrance to south side of the creek along the Wurr Trail, from Wurr Road, Memorial County Park, April 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Common Buckeye in Chaparral Zone, Pomponio Trail, Memorial County Park, August 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Redwood Grove, Mt. Ellen Nature Trail, Memorial County Park, August 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Mixed Woodland Habitat, along Pomponio Trail, August 2009 (Jennifer Rycenga)
Author: Jennifer Rycenga
Uploaded:
August 3, 2009
Last Update:
May 12, 2021 1:58pm
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No use without written permission
