Tunitas Creek Beach reopening delayed until next summer

“I know for some people, that sounds like a long time and a lengthy delay, but we’re giving ourselves the time that we think we need to go through all the steps necessary to remediate the slides and get it ready for opening,” she said.

Original plans for opening the new San Mateo County regional park — located about 8 miles south of Half Moon Bay — have been continually delayed.

But progress continues to be made on construction of key visitor facilities, including a ranger station, picnic tables, an ADA-accessible path to the midbluff area and an amphitheater, according to a press release from the county June 18.

The land, once reportedly owned by singer Chris Isaak, was purchased by the Peninsula Open Space Trust in 2017 and sold to the county in 2020. The late San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley took particular interest in helming a restoration effort and engaging the public in a future vision for the beach park, Schoof said.

“The land was owned privately for quite a few years. It wasn’t managed,” she said. “There was some activity occurring on the beach that really impacted plant and animal life there, and so was a call by local residents for some action to be taken to stop that activity.”

The primary goal of reconstruction efforts in the area — funded by a $11.6 million construction contract approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2023 — is creating a safe beach and recreation environment while also protecting natural resources and local endangered species, like the federally-protected snowy plover bird.

Previous access to the beach area was limited and unsafe, Schoof said, an issue the new design aims to rectify with accessible trails and parking for 60 cars as well as bus parking for school groups.

“There really was no safe way to access the beach. People either climbed over the cliffs or went through the creek,” she said. “Neither were really great options.”

A second trail, located on the southern side of the property, will also allow visitors to take a longer hike down to the water.

“The improvements really are safe, accessible access to the beach,” Schoof said.

Note to readers: A previous version of this story said that the landslides were blocking the emergency access route to the beach. The landslides are below the emergency access route.