Mori Point National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Painting courtesy Arthur Shilstone

A Little Place by the Sea For nearly a century, Mori Point served as a haven for settlers, travelers, boot-leg-gers and diners. Today, after a generation of development battles, this spectacular place serves as a haven for walkers and wildlife and is a link to national parklands on Sweeney Ridge and Milagra Ridge along the San Mateo coast.

Ranch to Roadhouse Stefano Mori and his family emigrated from Italy in the 1870s, starting a farm and building a ranchhouse on this land. The Mori family grazed cattle and horses, and raised brussels sprouts, cabbage and artichokes. A kitchen built to feed ranch hands and rooms built to house them eventually developed into the Mori Point Inn. The inn became a welcome road-house for travelers on the long road between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. When Prohibition banned alcohol consump-tion in the U.S. during the 1920s, Stefano’s son Jack turned from tavern keeper to bootleg-ger, running Canadian scotch from smugglers’ ships off the point. Mori’s era as a speakeasy ended in 1923 when federal agents arrested Jack Mori and confiscated 24,000 cases of whiskey from his farm. Stefano’s other son Ray, and Ray’s wife Marie, rescued the roadhouse in 1932, reviving it as a restaurant, hotel, and dance hall. The restau-rant and dance hall kept its lively reputation until 1965, when it was condemned as a safety hazard, and its final owner, Doug Hart, was led away in handcuffs for refusing to aban-don it. Shortly thereafter, Mori’s burned to the ground.

“Down the long hall of the rambling 21 room farmhouse, one passes…a veritable Italian grocery store with cheeses, salami hung from the ceiling, shelves of necessary sauces and foods that go into the making of the Mori meals...

The odor of cooking sauces, soups and meats drifts through the house...The bar itself is picturesque. Great barrels which carried rare wines from Portugal to San Francisco compose part of it and around their tops are brass rails.”

—Ruth Thompson & Chef Louis Hanges San Francisco News, 1937

“Historic old Mori’s, not to be outdone by the wrecker’s hammer, went out in a blaze of glory...the old landmark died the way she lived—in a bawdy and spectacular fashion.”

—Pay Lynn, Pacifica Tribune 1966

Mori Point Inn, circa 1950s

(rev. 12/07)

Bike

Path

Bike

Path

To Skyline College &Westborough Blvd

To Pacific Manor District& Daly City

Beach

Blvd

Francisco

Blvd

Mori Ridge Trail

Clarendon Ave

Palmetto

Ave�

Laguna Salada

Sharp

Park Road

LundyW

ay

SHARP PARK

Fass

ler

Ave

nue

Reina del Mar Avenue

250'

ShelldanceNursery

800'

VALLEMAR

ROCKAWAY

PACIFICA

100

200

200

100

400

1

1

1

0

0

0.25 Miles

0.25 Kilometers

MunicipalFishing Pier

SHARP PARKBEACH

SamTrans#110 & 112

SamTrans#110, 112

SHARP PARK

ROCKAWAYBEACH

FAIRWAYPARK

MoriPoint

Cattle Hill

City of San Francisco

P R I V A T E

Sharp Park MunicipalGolf Course

Rockaway Point

Hiking Only Trail(subject to change)

GGNRA landsand boundary

Other parks andpublic lands

Multi-Use Trail(hiking and bicycling)

Picnic area

Wheelchair access

Fishing

Parking

P R I V A T E

P R I V A T E

SWEENEYRIDGEMORI POINT

SWEENEYRIDGE

WastwaterTreatment

Facility

Rockaway

Beach Blvd

North

Pacifica Chamber of Commerce/GGNRA Visitor Center

Mori Point Road

To Pacifica State Beach (Linda Mar Beach)

& Pedro Point

Leve

e

Pedestrian/bicycleunderpass

PA

CI

FI

CO

CE

AN

To SweeneyRidge

Streets/sidewalksHABITAT

Sanchez

Creek

SENSITIVE

MARSH

P R I V A T E

Calera Creek

RESTORED

MA

RSH

Fairway Dr Ridgeway DrDanger–Cliffs

Danger–Cliffs

OldQuarryDanger–

Cliffs

Brad

ford

Wy

SanFrancisco

Bay

WESTBOROUGH BLVD.

SNEATH LANE

KINGS MTN. ROAD

COLLEGE AVE.SHARP PARK ROAD

FASSLER AVE.

135

1

1

35

101

101

280

380

28082

101

280

92

92

North

84

580

880

980

35

ELCA

MIN

OREA

L

Pacifica

DalyCity

San Mateo

Oakland

Woodside

San Francisco

Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay

Golden Gate

PACIFIC

OCEAN

San Bruno

Millbrae

SanAndreas Lake

LowerCrystal Springs

Reservoir

Upper Crystal

Springs Reservoir

LANDS END

FORT FUNSTON

OCEAN BEACH

PRESIDIO

MILAGRA RIDGE

MORI POINT

FITZGERALDMARINE RESERVE

PHLEGER ESTATE

PENINSULAWATERSHED(LIMITED ACCESS)

SWEENEYRIDGE

ALCATRAZ

80

HUDDART PARK

RedwoodCity

0

0

5 Miles

5 Kilometers

Finding Your Way

Mori Point is located in Pacifica just west of High-way 1, and directly south of Sharp Park Golf Course. Trailheads are found at the south end of Bradford Way and at the southwest corner of Sharp Park, near the south end of the levee protecting Sharp Park Golf Course.

Point of Contention Since the early 1900s, real estate developers have been promoting coastside homes within an easy commute to San Francisco. After the Mori Point Restaurant was destroyed, devel-opers had many visions for Mori: a seven story conference center, a golf course, a sixty-home housing development and a card gambling club. In the 1970s, highway planners proposed an extension to Interstate 380 through Mori Point. For nearly twenty years, Pacificans wrestled over protection of Mori Point. They wrote letters, and formed Pacificans for Mori Point, Friends of Pacifica, and the Pacifica Land Trust. Finally, in Sep-tember 2000, Congress enacted legislation to purchase and add Mori Point to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Proposed Mori conference center and golf course. WZMH Architects

Protecting the Point At least two rare species—the endangered teers to ensure their survival and ongoing San Francisco garter snake and the threat- health. Volunteer efforts organized through ened red-legged frog—find protection in the Site Stewardship Program offer drop-in Mori Point’s native coastal prairie vegetation. volunteer workdays and special projects. Call Wildlife at Mori Point, especially its endan- (415) 561-3067 for directions and a calendar gered species, rely on the efforts of volun- of events.

Enjoy a Safe Visit Please continue to protect Mori Point by stay- best weather, but fog may appear year-round, ing on trails and picking up litter. Dogs on so wear layered clothing and bring sunscreen leash are welcome. Please protect yourself and water. from the elements. Spring and Fall offer the

For More Information Pacifica Visitor Center Site Stewardship Program (650) 355-4122 (415) 561-3067 www.pacificachamber.com www.parksconservancy.org

Presidio Visitor Center For disabled access call (415) 561-4323 (415) 556-8371www.nps.gov/prsf

Printed on recycled paper. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA www.nps.gov/goga/