Sawyer Camp Trail is one of the Peninsula's most popular paths, and one of its easiest. It is about 6 miles long and runs through the San Andreas Fault rift valley near Hillsborough and the San Mateo Highlands. The old road was designated a non-vehicle recreation trail and paved for bicycles in 1978, according to Wikipedia.

Part of a bigger trail

Sawyer Camp is one of three segments of the Crystal Springs Regional Trail, run by San Mateo County Parks. The county says the regional trail is planned to run 17.5 miles from San Bruno to Woodside, and 15.3 miles are done. It serves more than 325,000 visitors a year, from families with strollers to distance runners, cyclists, skaters and horseback riders. The county says it also offers an alternative recreational route to the 1,210-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Wikipedia says more than 300,000 people use the Sawyer Camp segment each year.

The route

According to Wikipedia, the trail starts at a parking lot just north of the Crystal Springs Dam. It heads north along the east side of Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir, through dense groves of trees, then crosses the San Andreas Dam. It follows the eastern shore of San Andreas Lake before climbing to its end on Hillcrest Boulevard next to Interstate 280 in Millbrae. Parking is usually easier at the north end.

History along the way

Gaspar de Portolá's expedition camped nearby on Nov. 4, 1769, after descending from Sweeney Ridge. That camp now lies under San Andreas Lake, and a sign at the Hillcrest entrance points to it. Capt. Fernando Rivera camped in the area in November 1774, probably in the meadow near the large bay laurel now called the Jepson Laurel. The tree, named in 1923 for botanist Willis Linn Jepson, is said to be over 600 years old. The trail takes its name from Leander Sawyer, who bought land here in 1853 and kept an inn for travelers.

Tips

  • The trail is shared, so cyclists should slow down and announce themselves when passing.
  • The reservoirs are part of the San Francisco water system, so stay on the trail and out of the water.