Mel's Lane
Managed by: California State Parks
Location: Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, south of Pescadero off Highway 1
Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset
Fees: None
Trail Difficulty: Easy quarter-mile trail
Things to See and Do: An iconic spot along the California coastline, Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park is home to several attractions, including Pigeon Point lighthouse, Whaler's Cove and Mel's Lane, a quarter-mile segment of the California Coastal Trail.
Wheelchair-accessible Mel's Lane was built by POST in 2005 on land purchased as part of the Saving the Endangered Coast campaign. The trail is named in honor of lifelong conservationist Melvin B. Lane, a POST co-founder and first chair of the California Coastal Commission.
Pack a lunch and enjoy sweeping vistas from the Council Circle, a seating area POST installed in spring 2006 to honor special campaign donors. A sturdy lookout deck affords spectacular views of the rocky cove and surrounding coastal lands, much of which POST has protected. Behind the lighthouse's Fog Signal Building, there is another overlook deck with benches, providing more wondrous ocean vistas.
Keep Your Eyes Open For: Dolphins, otters, harbor seals, and, in spring and late fall, migrating gray whales.
Directions: From Half Moon Bay, drive 21 miles south on Highway 1 and turn right onto Pigeon Point Rd. Park in the small lot next to the kiosk.