Estero Bluffs State Park

Estero Bluffs is a 353-acre coastal park stretching from the highway to the Pacific Ocean, dominated by grassland and marine terraces with a diverse landscape. The property includes wetlands and low bluffs that form the main features along the shoreline.

The property was purchased by the Trust for Public Land in 2000 and transferred to California State Parks two years later for permanent protection. A conservation agreement has ensured the land remains undeveloped since that handover.

The name 'estero' comes from Spanish, referring to a salt marsh, reflecting the area's deep connection to coastal waters and tidal lands. The grasslands and wetlands here served as hunting and living grounds for indigenous peoples for thousands of years, with their presence still evident in the landscape today.

The park is open year-round with several hiking trails along the coast offering different difficulty levels and distances for various abilities. Sturdy footwear is recommended since trails cross grassland and run along cliff edges, with conditions that change with the seasons.

The park contains rare rock formations from the Franciscan Assemblage dating back to the Jurassic Period, lifted to their current height by tectonic forces over millions of years. These geological structures form the visible cliffs and reveal the dynamic earth history of this coastal region.