{due west} 50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM career, I just thought it would be a cool summer job,” she admits. Uncomfortable with public speaking, she hesitated but ultimately couldn’t pass up the chance to lead the same activities and programs she’d enjoyed as a kid. “Now, I’ve worked in the parks department for 14 years, and I hire and supervise the people who lead those programs,” she marvels. Katherine recommends Memorial Park, with about 130 drive-up family campsites, as best for first-timers. On summer weekends, day-trippers and campers alike enjoy free programs ranging from campfires and movie nights to arts and crafts activities and interpretive hikes. And as of last fall, there’s a new Huckleberry Flat area for campers with canines. One caveat: “You have to have a dog to camp there,” Katherine says. Nearby Sam MacDonald Park in La Honda also has a special area for those traveling with larger four-legged friends. Its Jack Brook Horse Camp has three sites with paddocks and tie posts for equestrian groups. What’s more, rangers host special hikes during Black History Month in honor of the park’s namesake and original landowner, a beloved Stanford University employee who died in 1957. Also inside the park is the Sierra Club-run Ollie Mayer Hikers Hut. Located a couple of miles from the main parking lot, it holds up to eight people. Boasting bathrooms, a full kitchen, a wood stove and mattress pads for your sleeping bags, it’s the closest you’ll come to “glamping” at a San Mateo County park, Katherine says. Another option for those willing to pack in their gear? Adjacent Pescadero Creek Park offers two hike-in camping areas, each about two miles from a trailhead. “It’s more remote, and you don’t have access to potable water,” Katherine points out. “You have to go down to the creek to pump it.” It’s the perfect place for backpacking newbies to take a test run ahead of a longer trip. “The elevation isn’t crazy, like it is if you’re going to Yosemite,” she shares. With over 20 miles of trails, Pescadero Creek Park is also great for long hikes or trail running. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS Memorial Park’s 100th On Thursday, July 11, San Mateo County is celebrating 100 years of Memorial Park at a centennial ceremony with refreshments, activities and a scrapbook for sharing memories and photos. RSVP on the county’s website.
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