Summer 
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Arriving at Quarry Park, March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
Quarry Park is a favorite with El Granada residents. This new addition to the San Mateo County Parks system provides some excellent viewing spots overlooking Princeton Harbor. A visit here amidst a day in Half Moon Bay can garner some passerines for your list, but the park has not been a known migrant hotspot.
From the parking lot, there are two trail choices. The Vista Point trail goes southeast towards the quarry. The other trail heads northeast, with a meadow on one side, and some willows on the other. This trail can be entered on either side of the locked gate. Both trailheads are broad and well-defined (the area is frequented by dog-walkers and bicyclists more than birders).
The vegetation here consists largely of eucalyptus trees, with occasional conifers and native plant life. The quarry site, about .3 miles from the trailhead, provides a mix of vegetation and an open space from which to survey for birds. In summer, Black-headed Grosbeak, Winter Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Wilson's Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, and Stellar's Jays can be detected here. Follow the trail uphill from the quarry site, and take the right fork a few minutes later, to reach the Harbor View Site. There is a boardwalk leading to this cliff overlook. About .1 mile after the Harbor View Site, you reach a point in the trail where there is a gate to the east. You can walk in this area, formerly known as the Wicklow House property; you will come to different habitats, including open grassland and areas with Acorn Woodpecker, raptors, and, possibly even wintering Long-eared Owls (they are known to be in the El Granada area in winter, but quite scarce).
As you saunter down the hillside, you will come to a trail junction where you can hike to Highway One on the Park Easement, thus connecting this park to the harbor and the sea. This route takes you through some open grassy patches, culminating in an open field just below El Granada School, where sparrows can be expected in winter, including Lincoln's Sparrow. This junction is signed, so if you prefer to go back to the parking lot and complete the loop, you'll be able to do so easily.
If you took the northeasterly trail when starting from the parking lot, it ends at an old barn. You can reconnect to the trail to the Harbor View Site just a few yards southwest from the barn, providing a longer loop overall through the park.
This pleasant park has not proven to be a rich vagrant spot, but it is a good place to learn the habits and habitats of the local, expected birds. Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers are abundant in winter, Wilson's in summer. The presence of a playground (dubbed "The Tot Lot") at the parking lot, picnic benches there and at the Harbor View Site, a community garden across from the parking, and the added bonus for birders with canines that this is a good spot for walking Fido, mean that this is the kind of birding site that enables one to combine birding with family, friends, and animal companions.
Quarry Park is now managed by San Mateo County Parks, which also absorbed and enlarged the park with the inclusion of POST's Wicklow House property. The previous managing group, Midcoast Park Lands, now functions as a Friends of Quarry Park group.
California Quail, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, California Gull (enroute to dump), Western Gull (enroute to dump), Glaucous-winged Gull (enroute to dump, winter), Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon (uncommon at this location), Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Great Horned Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher (uncommon at this location), Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Olive-sided Flycatcher (spring migration), Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Merlin (rare at this location), Hutton's Vireo, California Scrub-Jay, Steller's Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch (uncommon at this location), Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Wrentit, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (uncommon), Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush (winter irruptive), American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler (fall migration), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow (uncommon), Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bullock's Oriole (uncommon), House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill (uncommon at this location, irruptive), House Sparrow
In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Golden Eagle (2016), Tropical Kingbird (2016), Nashville Warbler (2005), Chipping Sparrow (2015)
This park is not easy to find; luckily, the way is well-signed. From SR1, take Coronado east (there is a light here), away from the harbor. Where Coronado ends, take a left onto Avenue Alhambra, then a right onto Avenue Cabrillo. At the traffic circle take a left onto Columbus, which brings you to Quarry Park at the corner with Santa Maria.
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.
Use of the park is free.
Officially the park is for day use only.
There are some small patches of poison oak and stinging nettles, but the broadness of the trails makes this more of an issue for dogs than for their humans. Mountain lions are known to live in the hills above Princeton and El Granada, but they have not been seen in Quarry Park to my knowledge. The meadow between the trails near the parking lot has ticks, of course, and it is worth keeping that in mind when using the picnic table area, too.
There is a clean outhouse by the parking. There are plenty of stores at which you can purchase the victuals for your picnic lunch, throughout El Granada, Princeton, and Half Moon Bay.
Accessibility information is currently not available for this location.
San Mateo County Parks can be contacted at 650-355-8289. If there are dangerous situations in the park, or rule-breaking visitors, contact the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office at 650-573-3701 or 650-363-4911.
Quarry Park is now a hotspot in eBird, with data in 26 of 48 time quadrants representing 73 species. Small parks like this benefit greatly from their inclusion in this largest-ever database of bird sightings from around the world. Get out and eBird!
Quarry Park is underrepresented in iNaturalist, too, but there is an information page here.
Main trail, Quarry Park, March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
Pacific Wren, March 2012, Quarry Park (Donna Pomeroy)
Townsend's Warbler, December 2011, Quarry Park (Donna Pomeroy)
Turn in the main trail, Quarry Park. If you are hiking east and want to reach the harbor View Site, take the right fork; the left fork will take you back toward the barn and meadow. March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
Overlook of Princeton Harbor, from Quarry Park's Harbor View Site, March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
This gate marks off Quarry Park from POST's Wicklow House property, which can be explored on trails, March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
Eucalyptus everywhere, Quarry Park, March 2010 (J.C. Shaver)
Author: Jennifer Rycenga, with thanks to Edwin Earl Geer and JC Shaver, who know this park quite well and shared their experience.
Uploaded:
June 23, 2010
Last Update:
February 26, 2021 8:42am
All content ©Sequoia Audubon Society and others
No use without written permission
