Daly City built a new parking lot, short trail, and interpretive signs at the end of John Daly Blvd. just west of Hwy. 35. Thornton Beach Overlook provides only visual beach access, but it's a pretty neat view. The geology of this area was featured in a recent Bay Nature article (including some great photos from the 1950s showing the bluffs before they were developed). Unfortunately, the old, rough footpaths southwest from John Daly Blvd. are all but blocked by slides and severe level changes, so I can no longer recommend this as a beach access. It was iffy before. Put an "X" there, please, about 1/8 inch south of the start. The north-south trails along the Thornton Beach bluffs (within the park boundaries, and northward) are still an enjoyable wander from Fort Funston. There is a well-used, sturdy equestrian trail down to these middle bluffs, heading northwest from the stables (near "Olympic Way"). The start is on private land, so be discrete! Give right of way to equestrians, if you happen to use it.

The Coastal Trail in Pacifica from Rockway Beach to Pacifica State Beach now extends 0.25 miles further south on the west side of Hwy. 1, past Crespi Blvd. to Linda Mar Blvd. The parking lot and restrooms at Pacifica State Beach beach were upgraded and expanded.

Half Moon Bay built a new trail from near Main St. and Hwy 92, west along Pilarcitos Creek, crossing under Hwy. 1. It connects to Strawberry Shopping Center then via a bridge across the creek, to the first street west of Hwy 1 (I've misplaced my street map-will look up the name), which you can follow north to Kellly Ave and turn west to Half Moon Bay State Beach. [On my visit, the START of the trail was quite funky, behind trailers, parking lots, and an outdoor gallery of chainsaw art]. It will eventually connect to John L. Carter Park near Main Street. When you see the trail and bridge as you drive by on Hwy. 1, it looks bigger than it is, but any trail that crosses under busy Hwy 1 is a good thing.

There is still no formal trail between Blufftop Coastal Park (Poplar Beach) and Redondo Beach Road, but from the Seymour Bridge (an old flatcar across a deep gulch, inexplicably leading people onto private property), you can wander south along informal trails well-trodden by locals, and reach Redondo Beach Road. There's a steep, nasty trail down to the beach from Redondo Beach Road; better to go north a hundred yards to the willowy gulch, where a footpath descends to the beach. But I started out to tell you about a new, public trail. From the rough parking lot at the end of Redondo Beach Road, there's a new paved trail south and east past Strawberry Ranch Conference Center, looping around the "X" on my map. The path narrows as it passes through the Ritz Carlton golf course, past a driving range populated by well-padded golfers and a strangely landscaped pond, arriving at the ugly parking and service entrances to the Ritz (is there a pretty side to the Ritz?). From here you can connect with the public trails at Miramontes Point. Still no connection south beyond the golf course to Cowell Beach.

San Mateo County Parks has purchased Mirada Surf property immediately south and west of El Granada. Inland, POST has acquired a several-hundred-acre ranch surrounding Quarry Park. Neither property has public access yet.

POST has bought a 100-acre property south of Moss Beach along Pillar Point Ridge, overlooking Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. This preserves the existing Informal public access along the blufftop service road, which will eventually be formalized into the Coastal Trail. It's roughly where my map says "private" though remember further south, near "Ridge" it still is private.

The Peninsula Watershed now offers regular docent-led hikes and bike rides along Cahill and Fifield Ridges. Visit the website to reserve a space on these popular outings (or to sign up and become a docent–the more leaders they have, the more trips they can offer). Although not open access, it's an important link in the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Transit and Roads:
BART now extends from Colma to San Francisco Airport and Millbrae. Fares are high, frequency is now only every 15 minutes; most of your trip is below ground, and stations are nowhere near the centers of their namesake cities. But maybe you'll find it useful. It's a short walk or ride from Millbrae Station to the Bay Trail south of SFO.

MUNI 56 still runs between SF Executive Park and Third St., but west of Third the route and terminus have changed. See MUNI website for details. Third Street Light Rail will open early 2006, replacing the 15 Third bus and triggering several other changes.

Construction has begun on the Devils Slide tunnel–completion is planned for 2008. Drive carefully along Hwy. 1 and watch for cones, barriers, and heavy equipment between Devils Slide and Montara. The current road and an old trail farther up the hill will become the new Coastal Trail in a few years, if all goes well.

[Changes will be described on a thumbnail map and detail maps; bug me if no link yet].

Detailed changes are on a separate Pacifica update page. In brief, the Coastal Trail has been extended from Sharp Park to Pacifica State Beach, and GGNRA has added Mori Point and Cattle Hill. The inland trails are still mostly as shown. Area codes, phone numbers and SamTrans bus routes have changed, and there are a lot of good websites for info. Most of these changes are included on the Trails of the Coastside map. Also, the Hwy. 1 tunnel is under construction; in a few years the old Devils Slide alignement of Hwy 1 will become a dramatic stretch of the Coastal Trail.

In November, 2005 the Bay Area Ridge Trail dedicated an 11-mile segment south from White Hill Summit to White Hill and west along San Geronimo Ridge (the boundary between Giacomini Ridge Preserve and MMWD) to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. On this map, it means new access between the north and south halves of White Hill Preserve. [Detail map will be provided; also see our Trails of San Geronimo Valley/Central Marin maps]

Sunset Stables in western Novato is now Willow Creek Stables. The new owners no longer allow the general public to pass through their busy boarding stables and riding rings, which makes a certain amount of sense. Which means (until the 3rd edition of the map comes out) you should put a big "X" at the end of Vineyard Road and the north end of the Deer Canyon Trail. Luckily the Upper Meadow Trail provides easy substitute access to Deer Camp Fire Road.

Trails in the new east half of Rush Creek Open Space Preserve are being relocated to get them away from the marsh onto higher ground. The first section, near Bahia Drive, has been relocated around the south edge of the marsh. The middle section will be redone soon. The MCOSD online map will show these changes.

If you get around by bus, check 511.org for the latest Golden Gate Transit changes; the 2004 service cuts were similar to what I show but different enough you should consult the official GGT schedule (which now includes the GGT map inside the cover).