Visit the Portolá Expedition's "Discovery" site of San Francisco Bay by hiking the route that most closely follows the expedition's path, starting at the Baquiano trailhead, Fassler Ave., Pacifica.
Ahni Trail to Baquiano Trail
3.2 miles out and back, moderate, 700 feet elevation gain, 1 hour 45 minutes
There are multiple trailheads that lead to the Portolá "Discovery" Site on Sweeney Ridge, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. However, the route that most closely follows the Portolá expedition's path starts from the trailhead at the end of Fassler Ave. in Pacifica (Google map). There's a small parking lot and street parking as well.
To start your hike, take the Ahni Trail 0.6 miles (a good climb) to the Baquiano Trail (fire road) that is 1 mile long. The views are spectacular and on a clear day you can see a magnificent stretch of coastline from Pedro Point in Pacifica north to Mount Tam in Marin and out to the Farallon Islands on the horizon. There is almost no shade, so be prepared. At the end of the Baquiano Trail, it intersects with the Sweeney Ridge Trail on the ridgeline. Walk east 50 feet or so across the Sweeney Ridge Trail to get to the "Discovery" site. You will see interpretive signs and the view out to San Andreas Lake and the San Francisco Bay.
Notable Related Visits
Pacifica Community Center (Google map)
Just a few miles away, there's a large mural of the Portolá expedition and members of the Aramai (Ramaytush Ohlone) tribe on the side of the Pacifica Community Center building facing the parking lot. On the other side of the parking lot, next to Highway 1, a statue of Portolá stood for three decades, until Indigenous activists staged a successful campaign to remove it.
Sanchez Adobe County Park (Google map)
Here you can learn about the Indigenous village of Pruristac that was located here and Sanchez Adobe mission outpost that followed.
RELATED ARTICLE
Trail will Retrace Spanish Explorers’ ‘Discovery’ of SF Bay
—Mike Kahn, Nov. 1, 2023 [Updated: Oct. 15, 2024]
