Pedro Point Arroyo Trail
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Trailhead near Devil’s Slide North Parking Lot, Cabrillo Hwy/Rte. 1, Pacifica. Park in the north parking lot for Devil’s Slide, at the northern end of the Tom Lantos Tunnels. Walk from the parking lot toward Rte. 1 and turn left. Take the paved walkway up the hill. A short walk will get you to the information sign where the South Ridge and Arroyo trails start.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Pedro Point Headlands Trail Information and Map link (Pacifica Land Trust):
https://www.pacifica-land-trust.org/projects/pedro-point-headlands/pph-trails/
Pedro Point Headlands info link (Pacifica Land Trust):
https://pedropointheadlands.org
Distance:
There is an information sign at the South Ridge Trailhead with the same trail map as the pdf link noted above. The trail sign markers list the South Ridge Trail as 0.6 miles (a sometimes steep 0.6 miles), the Arroyo Trail as 0.6 miles (less steep, more tree cover), the Bluff Trail as 0.5 miles, and the Middle Ridge Trail as 0.3 miles. Add another 1/3 mile or so to get to the main trailhead from the north parking lot.
Considerations:
General note: All information is subject to change based on current health and safety guidelines.
• Park in the North Parking Lot for Devil’s Slide, just before the Tom Lantos Tunnel from the north. Walk up the paved walkway that is parallel and above the roadside strip to the green gate.
• As is the case for most trailheads, weekend afternoons can be crowded. Weekdays and mornings are usually a better bet for parking.
• There are toilet facilities a short way up the Devil’s Slide trail from the parking spaces. It means backtracking a bit when you head back toward the Pedro Point trail entrance, but that is the only toilet option.
• Pay attention to health and safety notices, including wildlife alerts.
• Watch out for poison oak. (Scrubs such as Tecnu are helpful in case of exposure.)
• Listen for bikes. We had a bike whiz by us on a stretch we thought was a no bikes section.
• It can get very gusty and windy at the high end of the bluffs. Use caution on narrow trail sections along cliffs.
The trail: (Note: Some of this description also appears in Pedro Point South Ridge Trail and Pedro Point Bluff Trail Hike Notes)
Walking to the left out of the Devil’s Slide North Parking Lot leads up a paved walkway that then turns uphill to the main trail start. Hikers will find a trail information sign and a handful of other structural items in a clearing.
While the South Ridge Trail sign is easy to find, as you can easily see the trail leading up hill (see Pedro Point South Ridge Trail Hike Notes for description and gallery), the Arroyo Trail start is harder to find as you have to take a turn down around a hill. The Arroyo Trail provides a through-the-forest experience with a much less steep ascent than the South Ridge Trail. Both of these trail options lead hikers to the Bluff Trail (see Pedro Point Bluff Trail for description and gallery), which offers higher views, and are both about 0.6 miles. Take the Arroyo Trail for a forest walk with a slower climb, and the South Ridge Trail for open views with a sharp climb.
The gallery for this post focuses largely on the Arroyo Trail, which winds through shady forest, trees ornamented by hanging moss, eucalyptus groves, and finally rises up through chapparal terrain to the open views where the other trails meet.
Whether taking the Arroyo Trail or the Arroyo South Ridge Trail, there are great views from above, with a look toward the tunnels cutting through Devil’s Slide to the south, the vast Pacific to the west, and a great shoreline view of Pacifica to the north. The mountain views to the east are also dramatic.
For any of these paths, just when you think you’ve reached the top, you realize the trail rises again. The views are stunning but it can be extremely windy at the top.
There is a trail sign where the South Ridge Trail, the Bluff Trail, and the Arroyo Trail meet. The Bluff Trail, noted as 0.5 miles, is the stretch that leads up and over to the crest above the iconic Pedro Point rock. It is a trail of sharp dips and rises.
It is possible to take a quick look once you’ve reached the end of the Arroyo Trail, and then return via the South Ridge Trail. We extended our most recent hike here by walking to the end of the Bluff Trail, which offers a great view of a distinctive round bit of land, but that outcropping actually blocks the view of the unique pointy shape of Pedro Point rock. Pedro Point rock can be seen best a little further back on the bluff.
There is also a short Middle Ridge Trail, which connects midway along the Bluff Trail, that is a short little jog inland offering views of the surrounding hills.
We have climbed up via South Ridge Trail and returned by Arroyo Trail, and also climbed via the Arroyo Trail (an easier grade climb) and then enjoyed the stunning views back by the South Ridge Trail. It’s hard to beat the Pedro Point Headlands for stunning views over a short trail distance, but be prepared for some uphill sections whichever trails you choose.
Pedro Point Arroyo Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Winding Through the Trees” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Trailhead near Devil’s Slide North Parking Lot, Cabrillo Hwy/Rte. 1, Pacifica. Park in the north parking lot for Devil’s Slide, at the northern end of the Tom Lantos Tunnels. Walk from the parking lot toward Rte. 1 and turn left. Take the paved walkway up the hill. A short walk will get you to the information sign where the South Ridge and Arroyo trails start.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Pedro Point Headlands Trail Information and Map link (Pacifica Land Trust):
https://www.pacifica-land-trust.org/projects/pedro-point-headlands/pph-trails/
Pedro Point Headlands info link (Pacifica Land Trust):
https://pedropointheadlands.org
Distance:
There is an information sign at the South Ridge Trailhead with the same trail map as the pdf link noted above. The trail sign markers list the South Ridge Trail as 0.6 miles (a sometimes steep 0.6 miles), the Arroyo Trail as 0.6 miles (less steep, more tree cover), the Bluff Trail as 0.5 miles, and the Middle Ridge Trail as 0.3 miles. Add another 1/3 mile or so to get to the main trailhead from the north parking lot.
Considerations:
General note: All information is subject to change based on current health and safety guidelines.
• Park in the North Parking Lot for Devil’s Slide, just before the Tom Lantos Tunnel from the north. Walk up the paved walkway that is parallel and above the roadside strip to the green gate.
• As is the case for most trailheads, weekend afternoons can be crowded. Weekdays and mornings are usually a better bet for parking.
• There are toilet facilities a short way up the Devil’s Slide trail from the parking spaces. It means backtracking a bit when you head back toward the Pedro Point trail entrance, but that is the only toilet option.
• Pay attention to health and safety notices, including wildlife alerts.
• Watch out for poison oak. (Scrubs such as Tecnu are helpful in case of exposure.)
• Listen for bikes. We had a bike whiz by us on a stretch we thought was a no bikes section.
• It can get very gusty and windy at the high end of the bluffs. Use caution on narrow trail sections along cliffs.
The trail: (Note: Some of this description also appears in Pedro Point South Ridge Trail and Pedro Point Bluff Trail Hike Notes)
Walking to the left out of the Devil’s Slide North Parking Lot leads up a paved walkway that then turns uphill to the main trail start. Hikers will find a trail information sign and a handful of other structural items in a clearing.
While the South Ridge Trail sign is easy to find, as you can easily see the trail leading up hill (see Pedro Point South Ridge Trail Hike Notes for description and gallery), the Arroyo Trail start is harder to find as you have to take a turn down around a hill. The Arroyo Trail provides a through-the-forest experience with a much less steep ascent than the South Ridge Trail. Both of these trail options lead hikers to the Bluff Trail (see Pedro Point Bluff Trail for description and gallery), which offers higher views, and are both about 0.6 miles. Take the Arroyo Trail for a forest walk with a slower climb, and the South Ridge Trail for open views with a sharp climb.
The gallery for this post focuses largely on the Arroyo Trail, which winds through shady forest, trees ornamented by hanging moss, eucalyptus groves, and finally rises up through chapparal terrain to the open views where the other trails meet.
Whether taking the Arroyo Trail or the Arroyo South Ridge Trail, there are great views from above, with a look toward the tunnels cutting through Devil’s Slide to the south, the vast Pacific to the west, and a great shoreline view of Pacifica to the north. The mountain views to the east are also dramatic.
For any of these paths, just when you think you’ve reached the top, you realize the trail rises again. The views are stunning but it can be extremely windy at the top.
There is a trail sign where the South Ridge Trail, the Bluff Trail, and the Arroyo Trail meet. The Bluff Trail, noted as 0.5 miles, is the stretch that leads up and over to the crest above the iconic Pedro Point rock. It is a trail of sharp dips and rises.
It is possible to take a quick look once you’ve reached the end of the Arroyo Trail, and then return via the South Ridge Trail. We extended our most recent hike here by walking to the end of the Bluff Trail, which offers a great view of a distinctive round bit of land, but that outcropping actually blocks the view of the unique pointy shape of Pedro Point rock. Pedro Point rock can be seen best a little further back on the bluff.
There is also a short Middle Ridge Trail, which connects midway along the Bluff Trail, that is a short little jog inland offering views of the surrounding hills.
We have climbed up via South Ridge Trail and returned by Arroyo Trail, and also climbed via the Arroyo Trail (an easier grade climb) and then enjoyed the stunning views back by the South Ridge Trail. It’s hard to beat the Pedro Point Headlands for stunning views over a short trail distance, but be prepared for some uphill sections whichever trails you choose.
Pedro Point Arroyo Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Winding Through the Trees” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
