September 26, 2024

Key Visitor Services Taking Shape at Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach

Construction activity includes the parking area, an ADA-accessible trail, restrooms and a stacked seating/viewing feature. Learn more


September 24, 2024

New County Park Name Honors Former Supervisor Don Horsley

New county park under construction honors former Supervisor Horsley, a champion of protecting beach and making it available to the public.  Learn more


January 11, 2024

Construction of Tunitas Creek Beach Underway

Construction crews are working on the mid-bluff area and have cleared a landslide that encompassed approximately one-third of the beach access trail.  Learn more


August 14, 2023

Tunitas Creek Beach Construction Begins

Construction of Tunitas Creek Beach has begun, with the park scheduled to open in Spring/Summer 2024. The property will be closed for construction until the park opening and is not accessible to the public.  Learn more


Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Board of Supervisors Approves Construction Contract

On June 13, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved the contract to construct parking, pathways, rest rooms, picnic tables, and more visitor services at Tunitas Creek Beach.  Learn more


Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Construction for Tunitas Creek Beach Goes Out to Bid

Construction for the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project is out for public bid. Learn more


Monday, October 24, 2021

Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project Presented to Planning Commission, Oct 26

On Wednesday October 26, the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project will be presented to the Planning Commission to be considered for a Coastal Development Permit. Learn more


Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Preferred Design Survey Results

Community members have weighed in on aesthetics and learning opportunities of the Tunitas Creek Beach preferred design. Learn more and view the survey results


Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Spanish Survey Posted, Survey Closes on Nov 9

A Spanish version of the Fall 2021 survey has been posted. The survey will close to responses on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. View more


Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Help Determine Aesthetics and Learning Opportunities for Tunitas Creek Beach

Take our survey to weigh in on the aesthetics of future amenities determined in the Tunitas Creek Preferred Design, as well as what learning opportunities to emphasize through signage and interpretive programming. View more


Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project Open House

Join us Saturday, October 9 at Tunitas Creek Beach to view design plans and learn more about about the project. View More


Thursday, September 2, 2021

Tunitas Creek Beach Project CEQA Document Available for Review & Comments

The Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project Draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration is available for review and comment through October 1. View more


Friday, August 13, 2021

Webinar - August 13, 2021

On August 13, POST and San Mateo County Parks held an engagement webinar, which detailed some of the natural history of Tunitas Creek Beach and the planning process for this improvement project. Watch the video below


Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Presentation to the Board of Supervisors, Feb 23

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved the preferred conceptual design for Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project on Feb. 23. The Board’s action allows park staff to move forward on design plans, specifications, cost estimates and California Environmental Quality Act review. View the project presentation made to the Board of Supervisors

It is expected that environmental permits and approvals can be completed this summer and 100% design plans should be finalized late 2021. There will be an opportunity for public input before final plans are submitted.


Thursday, February 4, 2021

Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Design Presented to Parks Commission

On Thursday, February 4, the Tunitas Beach Preferred Design was presented to the Parks Commission.


Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Community Presentation

On Wednesday, January 27, 2021 a community meeting was held on Zoom, where we reviewed the Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Design and our project team answered questions from the community. View the video recording of the meeting


Friday, November 13, 2020

Phase II: An Updated Design & Community Preferences for Additional Features & Programming Opportunities

In Phase II we presented the project design informed Phase I feedback. As part of the update we presented potential additional design features and programming opportunities. See the presentation documents:

To determine community preferences for additional design features and programs another survey was given, which closed on November 13, 2020.


Friday, October 23, 2020

Virtual Community Meetings

On October 21 and 22 we held virtual community meetings, one in English, the other in Spanish. Members of the community learned more about Tunitas Creek Beach, asked questions, told us what’s important to them, and viewed conceptual designs that reflect results from the Phase 1 Development Survey.


Saturday, August 1, 2020

Phase 1 Development Survey Closes

The Phase 1 Development Survey has closed. Additional opportunities to provide input will be posted to this page soon. To be notified about these opportunities sign up on the project email list.


Monday, July 6, 2020

Phase 1 Instructional Materials & Survey Posted

The initial installment of instructional materials has been posted to the project page along with the Phase 1 Project Development Survey, designed to capture design priorities and preferences from the public. View the Phase 1 materials.


Monday, May 11, 2020

General Survey

Efforts to transform Tunitas Creek Beach into county park continue online despite the COVID-19 shutdown. The project General Survey has been posted, asking beach-goers about how they might want to use this new county park. Take the General Survey


Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Tunitas Creek Beach Kick-off Meeting scheduled for March 14, 2020 was canceled. Next steps for the project are currently being planned. An online survey designed to capture park user preferences will be posted soon. Stay informed on project progress and opportunities to participate by signing up for our email notification list—just enter your email address into the form on the lefthand side of this page.


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

San Mateo County has contracted with CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group to provide civil design, surveying and project management. They will work closely with the project Technical Advisory Committee; with representatives from San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Parks and Public Works; and Peninsula Open Space Trust, California State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. The design phase is expected to conclude summer 2021.

Join us for the kickoff meeting for this project, Saturday, March 14, at Tunitas Creek Beach. Learn more


Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has accepted the Vision Document provided by the Tunitas Creek Beach Community Advisory Committee. Project consultants have been selected. View


Wednesday, May 9, 2018

There are a number of activities that have taken place in the five months since Peninsula Open Space Trust and San Mateo County Parks announced its partnership to protect and preserve Tunitas Creek Beach, and eventually establish it as a public park.

Most of the work thus far has focused on protecting natural resources and facilitating safe access for staff and emergency responders. In addition, a request to fund positions that support operations and planning activities was approved at the April 10 meeting of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

On May 9, the San Mateo County Planning Commission approved a Coastal Development Permit submitted by San Mateo County Parks to establish reliable access to the beach by local and state first responders, including San Mateo County Parks, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, San Mateo County fire agencies, California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Approval will allow San Mateo County Parks to:

  • Create a stable path from the property down to the beach that will support light emergency vehicles and staff. A gate will be installed to prevent unauthorized use.
  • Install fencing around the unoccupied structure on the bluff and additional signage posting the San Mateo County ordinances language at several locations.

In the months to come, we will start the planning process for long-term public access and will seek the community’s input.  We ask the public to bear with us as we work to complete our vision for a public park and safe access for all over the next few years.