Devil's Slide Bunker, Pacifica, California

South of San Francisco, right off Route 1, is a short hike called Devil's Slide Trail. This trail is about 2.8 miles round trip. I mention this hike because if you plan on going to Devil's Slide Bunker, you must park at this trailhead and then take about a half-mile hike south to get here. This is the closest parking. Please note that Devil's Slide Bunker is on private land, and a fence surrounds it to keep you out. I don't recommend going to the bunker unless you have the proper permission.

First, I will discuss the hike and then the bunker. The hike is easy and paved, with incredible views of the ocean. There are free parking lots on the trail's north and south sides. This is an excellent place for your family to hike, bike, and enjoy the views. The parking lots are open from sunrise to sunset, and leashed dogs are permitted.

There are benches along the path to stop and take in your surroundings and interpretive signs that describe the area's history and geography. While hiking, look for migrating birds and whales.

The paved trail consists of two 6-foot-wide bike lanes traveling in either direction and a 10-foot-wide lane for walkers and horseback riders. The steepest section has a little more uphill. To avoid the steep stretch, you could start at the northern end and have someone pick you up at the southern lot.

Here is a view from the hike. You can see Devil's Slide Bunker if you look south during the hike.

Above Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a strange-looking structure with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and the shoreline in both directions. The bunker on Devil's Slide was initially built during World War II as an observing station and was once simply a piece of a much bigger set of buildings and facilities. When in service, a person equipped with a set of binoculars would keep watch out at sea, and if they spotted any enemy ships, they radioed a massive six-inch gun not far away, which would sink the boat before they got close. Unfortunately, with more modern missile defenses, the station became obsolete, and the entire site was abandoned in 1949, leaving an empty bunker atop Devil's Slide.

After the war, the land on the point was purchased from the US government, and the new owner scraped away the dirt everywhere but under the bunker. This is why it looks so strange from the surrounding areas.

By the looks of the bunker's base, it seems like it is only a matter of time before some unlucky artist actually takes the Devil's Slide along with the bunker. The best picture opportunities are from Gray Whale Cove and the Devil's Slide Trail.

NOTE:

• I'll repeat this: this is on private property, so please stay out unless you have proper permission to be here.

• It can get very windy here, so be prepared.

• This is a family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible hike. However, one steep section may be difficult to climb in a wheelchair, and you will need help.

• Parking is an issue, so get here early.

• There are restrooms at both parking lots.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY:

• Gray Whale Cove Trail

• Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

• Montara Mountain Trail

• Pacifica State Beach

• Mori Point

• Shelldance Orchid Gardens