Chris Isaak's former San Mateo County coastal property turned into public park
A once-private stretch of the San Mateo County coast with ties to the singer behind "Wicked Game" will officially become the county's newest public park Monday after years of restoration work.
Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach will open at 8 a.m. Aug. 17 along Highway 1, about halfway between Half Moon Bay and Pescadero. The 58-acre property will be San Mateo County's first new park in more than a decade.
Visitors will have access to scenic overlooks, picnic areas, interpretive exhibits and nearly a mile of sandy beach. The park also includes restrooms, parking for up to 80 vehicles and an ADA-accessible path to a mid-bluff overlook.
A trust associated with singer and Stockton native Chris Isaak owned the property from 1998 to 2017, when the Peninsula Open Space Trust acquired it. The land was transferred to San Mateo County in 2020 as part of a yearslong effort to preserve the site and create safer public access.
Former county Supervisor Don Horsley was a key advocate for that effort, and the park was later named in his honor. Construction began in 2023, but landslides near an emergency beach access route delayed the opening until this summer.
Restoration work has focused heavily on sensitive habitat around Tunitas Creek and the beach. The area is home to species including the threatened western snowy plover and California red-legged frog, as well as native steelhead trout.
The project cost roughly $24 million, including more than $12 million raised through individual and foundation donations to the Peninsula Open Space Trust. State, county and regional agencies provided the remaining funding.
Admission will be free. The park will open daily at 8 a.m. year-round, with seasonal closing times. No lifeguards will be stationed at the beach, and county officials are urging visitors to use caution around the ocean.
