History

For thousands of years, this area was home to Shalshone Indians. They were considered to be an extremely warlike people, fighting with their neighbors to the north and south. They seemed to have been friendly enough when, on November 4, 1769, Gaspar de Portola and his men camped north of here, after descending from Sweeney Ridge where they were reputed to be the first white men to view the San Francisco Bay. Portola's camp is now beneath the waters of San Andreas Lake; a sign at the trail entrance on Hillcrest Boulevard points to it. In November of 1774, Captain Fernando Rivera, a principal officer of Portola, and the first to lead a group to purposely explore the Peninsula, camped near one of the Shalshone villages. It was probably in the meadow near the Jepson Laurel. His chaplain and diarist, Father Francisco Palou, named the area San Andrea, honoring that saint's feast day.

The name of the existing trail, Sawyer Camp Trail, was derived from the once nearby camp of Leander Sawyer. It isn't really known from whom Leander Sawyer bought the land, but he became active in this area soon after the land was sold in 1853. He probably lived in a small adobe built near a natural spring in the hill, just southwest of the Laurel. This was remembered by some very old timers of the area. No trace of it remains today. The Sawyer Camp Trail was Sawyer's access to his camp (south of the Laurel tree) where old timers say he kept an inn to dispense food to picnickers and to serve as a lodging place for horsemen traveling through the area. Later, the trail was used by the stagecoach from Millbrae, which connected with the San Mateo Stageline to Half Moon Bay (Spanish Town). During the 1850's, and '60's, Sawyer grazed cattle in the area to keep down the brush and make a better area for incoming wagons. Sawyer Camp Trail, later called San Andreas Valley Road, or just Valley Road, was once the main highway between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. Wagons pulled by teams of horses hauled wood over the road. Much of the old road was flooded by the Crystal Springs Reservoir by 1888. There, in the late 1800s performing circus horses were trained. The trail/road served as a notable travel route on the San Francisco Peninsula for a number of decades. When the City of San Francisco took over the surrounding watershed lands as a part of their Hetch Hetchy water system, the narrow road was kept open as a public roadway. The roadway was fenced in to protect the watershed, which supplies drinking water to San Francisco and many peninsula communities. In 1978, San Mateo County closed the road to motorized vehicles; but kept it open as a linear park non-motorized recreational use.

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Trails

The San Andreas trail extends from San Bruno Avenue on the north to Hillcrest Blvd. on the south where it connects to the Sawyer Camp Trail. It runs through the San Fracisco watershed which is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commision. This trail is probably the second most popular trail in mid-county because a portion of it is paved and heavily used by bicyclists, joggers and hikers. It also has easy access to Skyline Boulevard. The southerly 0.6-mile is gravel-surfaced and not passable by bicycles, which have to detour to the frontage road east of 1-280 to get to Sawyer Camp Trail. The trail passes close to San Andreas reservoir in its northerly section, and provides beautiful viewpoints. It is hoped that some day it will connect to the Sweeney Ridge Trail and the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site.

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Activities

Sawyer Camp trail includes the following activities:

• Bicycling
• Walking
• Running
• Skating/Rollerblading
• Horseback riding

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Days and Hours of Operation

Crystal Springs Park is open every day of the year including all holidays. It opens daily at sunrise and closes at sunset.

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Natural Features

Today's visitors to Sawyer Camp Trail find scenery expected only in far more remote rural settings. The trail parallels picturesque Crystal Springs Lake and the San Andreas Lake. Along with the preserved forests and Coastal Range ridge these lakes form stunning pictures which change with the course of the day. Ducks, hawks and numerous small birds can be seen overhead or in the surrounding oaks and madrones. Over 180 different species of birds have been identified there. Deer, squirrels, bobcats, coyotes and rattlesnakes are often spotted. Recent sightings of mountain lions have also occurred. This pristine Watershed area surrounding the trail is recognized by the California Department of Fish and Game as a Fish Wildlife Refuge and is considered a Biosphere Reserve.

The Jepson Laurel is one of the most famous landmarks along Sawyer Camp Trail, and it has been established to be over 600 years old. It is now the oldest and largest known Laurel in California. In 1923, this tree was named in honor of Willis Linn Jepson, one of California's most noted botanists. At that time, there was only one larger Laurel known in the State. It grew along the Russian Rivet near Cloverdale, but was cut down because it shaded too much hayfield. This vulnerable tree was finally fenced to protect it from soil compaction, which could conceivably weaken its roots. The San Francisco Water Department, on whose property it is located, assumed the tree's preservation and protection. In 1981, the San Mateo County Parks Department, on permit from the Water Department, opened the area near the tree and constructed a new picnic area. California Laurel (Umbellularia californica), also known as Bay Tree, Pepperwood, or Oregon Myrtle, has a wood, which is heavy, hard, fine-grained, and exceptionally strong.

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Directions to the Park

To San Andreas Trail

From I-280 South - Take the San Bruno Ave. exit. Make a right on San Bruno Ave. to Skyline Blvd. Turn left on Skyline. Drive one-half mile to the trail entrance. Park along the road.

From I-280 North - Take Highway 35/Pacifica exit. The trail entrance is about 1 mile from the exit on your left. Park along the road.

Reservations

No reservations can be made at Crystal Springs Park

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Volunteers Program

If you are an individual or an organization interested in volunteering, please contact Crystal Springs Park or the San Mateo County Parks Volunteer Program.

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