Hi, it's me your roving reporter, Jake. My buddy Mac (a border collie) and I decided to take our moms on a walk at the Devil's Slide trail here in Pacifica. We chose a foggy day since there's little shaded areas.
Mom liked that there is easily marked parking on either side of the trail, but the number of spots are limited, so we had to circle around to finally park. She and Mac's mom kept us on our leashes, because there are a lot of signs saying we can't be off-leash. But I liked that on either side of the trail there are bathrooms, drinking fountains, and signs that give all the information of the trail and what you will see -- looks really nice and clean, too.
The new Devil’s Slide Tunnel opened in 2013 and in early 2014 a new section that continues the California Coastal Trail was finished. The trail is about 1.3 miles long and runs along the Old Highway 1 segment that was bypassed by the tunnel. Bikes are also allowed on the trail, and they have a separate lane marked for that use.
The views are amazing, as the trail runs all along the coast high up on a cliff. I liked the smell of the ocean air, but there's not a lot of bushes or trees to smell, just pavement. The trail goes uphill drastically on one side, so my hips were a bit sore after this hike.
I suggest bringing a bowl or something to drink out of, since the drinking fountains provided are for humans only. And if you choose to do this on a sunny day, DEFINITELY bring water -- and maybe even something for your paws, since that black-top gets really hot! But all in all it's a beautiful walk and I had a great day with my friend Mac.
On weekends the parking lot is packed, but there's a free weekend shuttle which arrives at the north trailhead on Saturday and Sunday, from 9:48 am to 4:48 pm. For more information about the shuttle and this trail in general, visit the GGNRA site here.