History:

In 1957, several seaside communities along coastal Highway 1, just south of San Francisco, incorporated to become the City of Pacifica. Although very young as a city, the rich history of Pacifica is of the oldest recorded in California and has resulted in deeply impacting the development and settlement of not only the state, but also San Francisco and the entire Bay Area.

In 1769, Spanish Captain Don Gaspar de Portolà led the first land expedition, consisting of 64 persons, to explore Alta California. Departing from the northern tip of Baja California, they planned to explore the land north as far as the Monterey Bay. Aided only by a mariner's navigation handbook of the California coastline, their ultimate destination was described as a "fine harbor, sheltered from winds". Upon encountering winds and rough seas in the Salinas area, they continued northward and ended up in the peaceful San Pedro Valley, today known as Linda Mar. Here the weary and hungry explorers found valleys, streams, and a sheltered ocean cove teeming with wildlife and fishing. Seeing the Farallon Islands off the coast, Portolà realized he had gone too far, but decided to set up camp in this idyllic location to give his men a much needed rest. The peaceful and gentle Ohlone Indians kept the group company and helped the scouts explore the area. Sergeant Jose Francisco Ortega, while climbing the northeast hills of the valley, made it to the crest of what is now Sweeney Ridge and was the first European to see the legendary San Francisco Bay. He described it as "an enormous area of the sea or estuary which shot inland as far as the eye could see". Portolà and his entire party traveled up to the ridgeline and declared the San Francisco Bay as part of New Spain.
Today, the modern day explorer can hike the trail traversed by Portolà and his expedition. Along the way, sweeping views of the valleys, the coastline and the expanse of the Pacific Ocean open up before the hiker. Upon mounting the crest, with the Pacific Ocean at your back, the San Francisco Bay is revealed in all it's splendor. Sweeney Ridge is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.