To reach Angel Island, we’ll begin by taking CalTrain north to SF.  We'll bike past the Giants Stadium along the Embarcadero until arriving at the ferry building. After catching the ferry to Angel island, Experienced campers will bike around Angel Island, stopping first at the former Civil War station.  Advanced campers will take a guided tour of the Immigration Station. Then, we'll proceed to Quarry Beach for lunch.  If there is time, we'll bike to the Angel Island immigration station.

The island was originally used as a hunting area by the Coast Miwok Tribe and was used for 99 years by the military.  The military constructed forts,  a US Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and a US Bureau of Immigration Inspection and Detention facility.  

We'll look for some of the mule deer (we got lucky last year!) that live on the island as well as the native wildflowers and native trees (including oak, bay, madrone, manzanita, and chamise). 

At one time, there were approximately 190,000 acres of tidal marsh ringing the SF Bay.  By 2009, there were just 49,000 acres.  There are efforts around the SF Bay to restore these tidal marshes, and this day's ride will give Nature Campers a good view of the SF Bay and some tidal marshes near us.  We'll also see the new sea wall that was under construction for two years. Experienced Campers will cross the 101 Freeway on the Monte Diablo overpass and then head south on the Bay Trail, stopping at Leo Ryan Park and Seal Point Park. Then, we head through Foster City on our way to DTech in Redwood City, observing the marsh habitats, and the birds that live there.

Experienced Bikers will bike (and do some walking!) up old Ralston Road to reach Carolands Chateau which was built by Harriet Pullman and her husband Francis Carolan.  We'll take a tour of the gardens and the house, ending with lunch on the lawn followed by ice cream provided by the Carolands Foundation!

In 1912, Harriet Pullman and Frank Carolan purchased 554 acres and built the 92 room, 4-story French chateau. Entire rooms were imported from France (three of these rooms can be seen at the Legion of Honor in SF).  In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Johnson purchased the home after years of neglect in order to preserve the chateau and restore the gardens. The Johnsons moved into the chateau in 2002 and donated it in 2012 to the Carolands Foundation.

Central Park is 16 acres and is located in downtown San Mateo. It was once part of the estate of Charles B. Polhemus, the founder of downtown San Mateo and the director of the SF and San Jose Railroad. While visiting, Nature Campers will visit the historic Japanese garden. The Japanese garden was designed by landscape architect, Nagao Sakurai of the Imperial Palace of Tokyo. It features a granite pagoda, tea house, koi pond and bamboo grove.

Coyote Point was originally an island with a marsh connecting it to the peninsula. In 1921, a group of SF financiers purchased 90 acres of land between Peninsula and Burlingame Avenue that continued to Coyote Point. They called the area Pacific City, and at one time it had a roller coaster, Ferris Wheel, dance pavilion, and a pier.  They made the beach by trucking in sand.  Pacific City closed after just two years, in 1923, and only a lone palm tree west of the Peninsula Humane Center is all that remains.  We'll enjoy lunch on the beach and ice cream afterward!

Experienced Campers will meet at the northern end of Canada Road at 9:00 am for the start of this biking and hiking day.  We'll bike south on Canada Road until we reach Edgewood Road.  We'll lock the bikes and then hike into Edgewood Park from the western side. This beautiful preserve borders the 280 freeway and is home to many wildflowers and oaks as well as a variety of creatures, from turkeys to lizards to deer.

Experienced Bikers have the choice of riding up to Canada Road (meeting at South School at 7:50 am) or having their parents bring them to the northern end of Canada Road at 9:00 am (near the intersection with highway 92). We'll all ride together to Filoli.  

Filoli is a country house set in 16 acres of formal gardens surrounded by a 654-acre estate. Filoli was built for Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn II, prominent San Franciscans, whose chief source of wealth was the Empire Gold Mine in Grass Valley, California.

We'll explore the ecosystems found at Filoli and the formal gardens. 

Following our time at Filoli, we'll bike to the Pulgas Water Temple which was erected by the San Francisco Water Department to commemorate the 1934 completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct.  It is located at the aqueduct's terminus. There, we'll enjoy the serenity of the location and participate in the great hill roll!

The Ohlone originally used the land that is now Wunderlich Park, with Europeans arriving in 1769 with Portola's expedition. In 1840, John Coppinger, an Irishman, was the first European settler on the land. Simon Jones purchased the property in 1872 and planted grape vines and fruit trees. The Jones family eventually sold to James Folger II in 1902, and then Martin Wunderlich purchased the property from the Folger Family in 1956. Finally, in 1974, Martin Wunderlich donated 942 acres to San Mateo County.

We’ll visit the historic stables and then take a hike in this beautiful preserve.

This day is for our Advanced Campers. We'll begin by boarding the CalTrain in San Mateo.  Once we reach SF, we'll bike along the waterfront, and then we'll bike up to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.  We'll cross on the east side of the bridge, and then head to the Tennessee Valley Beach.  Afterward, we'll head to Sausalito to take the ferry back to SF.  We'll arrive back in San Mateo by train.

 Harley Farms Goat  Dairy is located in Pescadero.  Nature Campers take a private tour, seeing the milking herd, the baby goats, the guardian dogs, and the British White cattle--not to mention the bees, the peacocks, and the many birds that live near their pond.  We also learn about the history of the property as well as the process of cheesemaking.  Finally, we will taste some of the delicious cheeses!

After biking to Huddart Park from South School, Advanced Nature Campers will stop to picnic under the canopy of soaring redwoods and oaks along the bank of the creek. John Coppinger, who also owned the land of Wunderlich Park, originally owned this land, and between 1853 and 1860, five sawmills operated nearby.  In the 150 years since the end of logging, new redwoods have other trees have covered the once barren hills, erasing much of the evidence of logging.  Huddart has been a public park since 1944.

Laurelwood/Sugarloaf Park is a beautiful preserve in southern San Mateo.  Experienced Campers will bike to Laurelwood Park and then enjoy lunch along with several hikes within the park, including the hike to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Biking to Mills Canyon involves a challenging uphill grade, but the beauty of the canyon's trail, the Ed Taylor Trail, and the downhill journey more than compensate for the uphill effort. The Ohlone tribe lived in the canyon for many generations prior to the arrival of Europeans in the SF peninsula. In 1859, brothers in law Darius Mills (Gold Rush banker) and Ansel Easton each bought 1500 acres, with Mills Creek as the border. In 1977, Ed Taylor started to build the trail which is now named after him.

The Pescadero Marsh covers 235 acres and includes five distinct habitats--a tidal estuary, a freshwater marsh, a brackish water marsh, dense riparian woods, and northern coastal shrub.  More than 200 bird species have been spotted in the Marsh, and approximately 60 of these build their nests there.  The Pescadero Marsh is the only extensive wetland on the SF Peninsula and is located on the east side of highway 1. Nature Campers will take a guided tour.

Surrounded by a bustling city, the Presidio is surprisingly an oasis for nature. The Presidio's varied biological resources contribute significantly to the Bay Area's designation as an international biodiversity hotspot. The Park contains 12 native plant communities, 3 watersheds, and 60,000 trees in the historic forest first planted by the US Army.  Further, it is a haven for more rare species per acre than any other national park unit, with 1 species per 298 acres. Nature Campers will approach the Presidio across the Crissy Field Marsh, where we'll hope to catch a glimpse of some snowy egrets and long-billed curlews. We'll stop off at the new Tunnel Tops National Park before heading up Arguello Blvd. to Andy Goldsworthy's Spire. From there, we'll enjoy Inspiration Point Overlook before walking through the Inspiration Point Grasslands. We'll look for the endangered Presidio Clarkia wildflower and red-tailed hawks. Next, we'll head over to El Polin Spring which has provided water for centuries for native plants, animals, and people. We'll then get on our bikes and head to the Coastal Bluffs, hoping to see dramatic views of Baker Beach and the Marin Headlands.  We'll travel underneath the Golden Gate Bridge on our way back to Crissy Field and the train station.

When traveling south or north on Canada Road, Nature Campers will stop at the Pulgas Water Temple for rest and water. The Water Temple is a monument to the engineering feat that brought water to the peninsula from the Sierras. It cost $102 million to construct during the Depression and took 24 years to complete. The water travels 160 miles and first began to flow on October 28, 1934. The temple and the engineering methods have Greek and Roman architecture elements.

Experienced Campers will bike from South School up Crystal Springs Road to the Sawyer Camp Trail where we'll ride south along the Crystal Spring Reservoir.  The man-made Crystal Springs Reservoir holds water captured from the Peninsula Watershed and water delivered from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The reservoir supplies water to San Francisco and the Peninsula. The original earthen dam (which is near the 6 mile mark) was constructed in 1877 and now separates the lower and upper man-made lakes.  San Mateo Creek was dammed in 1888 by a 150 foot concrete dam which was recently upgraded and reviewed for safety.

On the way down, we'll stop and enjoy creek walking in the San Mateo Creek.

Experienced Bikers will take CalTrain to Stanford's campus.  Once there, we'll visit the Stanford Mauseleum, the Cactus Garden, the Chapel, and Hoover Tower.  We plan to stop for lunch at the O'Donohue Family Educational Farm before visiting the Burghers of Calais and the Oval.

Presidio Tunnel Tops is built on and around the Presidio Parkway tunnels. It is located in the heart of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and it has amazing views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, play spaces for kids, and places to gather to be in nature.  Experienced Campers in week 2 will get to experience this brand new, incredible National Park.