San Francisco Bay Area > San Mateo County > Pillar Point Harbor

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Approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco, in the small town of Princeton, Pillar Point Harbor is a home port for commercial and sport fishing boats and a take-off point for whale watching, scuba diving, and kayaking in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The harbor is sheltered by the Pillar Point headland to the north...

Approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco, in the small town of Princeton, Pillar Point Harbor is a home port for commercial and sport fishing boats and a take-off point for whale watching, scuba diving, and kayaking in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The harbor is sheltered by the Pillar Point headland to the north and two large breakwaters to the south. You can stop for a meal or a snack on the lively little waterfront and, in season, go directly to the fishing boats to buy fish from the people who caught them. The docks themselves aren't accessible during low tide, but the fishers will bring the fish to you. You can also try to catch something yourself from the recreational fishing pier (42-inch railings).

For a ride that allows close-up observation of life in a saltmarsh, take the West Shoreline Trail. A half-mile section of the paved Coastside Trail takes off to the south from the end of the harbor road, traveling along the harbor to El Granada Beach. A lovely way to end the day is to dine at one of the ocean-view restaurants on Capistrano Road.