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Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area
Photo: Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Peninsula (or San Francisco Peninsula) region of the San Francisco Bay Area lies immediately south of the City and County of San Francisco—reaching from its famous neighbor to the north into the high-tech region of Silicon Valley. For purposes of this travel guide, the Peninsula is synonymous with San Mateo County. While many of the Peninsula's residents work and play to the north or south, the Peninsula has its attractions, including some beautiful wilderness areas.
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Features open rolling grasslands and deep, cool river valleys. The views from atop Black Mountain can be excellent.
A densely forested park, with large redwoods.
Sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Silicon Valley. Excellent in late winter and early spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom. Great place to watch the sunset.
This park combines dense redwood groves adjacent to wide-open grasslands. A good choice if you can't make it to Muir Woods.
Just north of Santa Cruz, Butano is a nice park among giant old growth and second growth redwood trees. Close to Highway 1, this spot is an ideal location for travelers plying the San Francisco to Monterrey route. Not recommended for large RVs and trailers over .
Long, winding, one-lane mountain roads keep most people away from this park. Their loss can be your gain. Some of the biggest trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains can be found in this park in the Peters Creek area. This park is nearly always empty. Not recommended for vehicles longer than .
By car
Motorists can reach the Peninsula from OAK by crossing the bay on the Bay Bridge (Interstate 80, to the north), the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (Highway 92, to the south), or the Dumbarton Bridge…
By bus
The San Mateo County Transit District runs extensive bus service throughout San Mateo county, plus overlaps in Palo Alto and San Francisco. Some bus routes run all night.60 respectively).
By car
S. 101 and I-280. If you are driving from San Francisco to Palo Alto or San Jose, take I-280. It is a beautiful drive, free of advertising, well above the wilderness area.
By bicycle
Many streets throughout the Peninsula have designated bike lanes, helping make cycling on the peninsula safer and easier.
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San Francisco · International · SFO
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Belmont is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
Brisbane is a city in San Mateo County, California. Broadly residential, the city has little of interest to tourists.
Burlingame is a city of 31,000 people (2020) in California's Bay Area on the Peninsula. This suburb of San Francisco is known for its numerous eucalyptus groves, and walkable downtown area.
Colma is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The city is in San Mateo County and is south of Daly City and west of Brisbane.
Daly City is a city in the northernmost part of San Mateo County on the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, directly south of San Francisco proper.
Foster City is a quiet suburban city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Primarily residential and lacking in a downtown, it also has a couple of large office parks and several large employers including Gilead, Visa, and Sony.
Half Moon Bay is a city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Half Moon Bay Coastside is a rural seaside community about 30 miles (45 km) south of San Francisco.
Menlo Park is a suburban, tree-lined community in San Mateo County midway between the major cities of San Francisco and San Jose. Menlo Park offers visitors easy access to Stanford, Palo Alto and Silicon Valley.
Millbrae is a city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It is south of San Bruno and north of Burlingame.
Moss Beach is a small town on the Pacific Coast on the Peninsula south of San Francisco.
Pacifica is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Popular for its beaches, Pacifica has a mix of Bay Area hippies and blue-collar folks (especially in the fishing industry).
Pescadero is a peaceful, coastal town of 600 people (2020) on the Peninsula, approximately 45 miles south of San Francisco.
Portola Valley is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The city is in San Mateo County and is south of Woodside and west of Menlo Park.
Redwood City is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
San Bruno is a city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It is south of South San Francisco and north of Millbrae.
San Carlos is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
San Mateo is a town on the Peninsula in the Bay Area of California.
South San Francisco is a hidden oasis of the Bay Area in California, located just south of Daly City and north of San Bruno on the Peninsula. When you say "South San Francisco" to out-of-towners, they think that you live in the southern part of San Francisco proper.
Woodside is a small town on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is considered one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, and is home to many celebrities and executives.
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