Montara Mountain is located between the towns of Montara and Pacifica, forming a spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is a range running along the San Francisco Peninsula separating San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Its highest point is at 1,898 feet. The Montara Mountain Trail begins in a fragrant blue gum eucalyptus forest, offering tantalizing glimpses of Pacifica and the sea beyond.

The trail continues through lush coastal scrub and groves of manzanita, intersecting at one point with the Brooks Creek Trail. The trail keeps winding towards a hilltop with a magnificent view of the western part of the ridge of Montara Mountain. Each different elevation offers unique plant communities and rock formations, while the rare and endemic Montara manzanita only grows in this area.

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