San Mateo County residents will gain access to nearly a mile of sandy coastline when Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach opens Monday, Aug. 17, at 8 a.m.

It is the county's first new park in more than a decade.

The 58-acre park on Highway 1, about eight miles south of Half Moon Bay, transforms what was once private bluff-top land into a free, year-round public beach with accessible trails, scenic overlooks, picnic areas, an amphitheater for ranger talks and an 80-space parking lot. No lifeguards will be on duty. Dogs, alcohol and camping are prohibited.

The park is named for former county Supervisor Don Horsley, who died in November 2023 at age 80. Horsley first tipped off Peninsula Open Space Trust in 2016 that the property might be available, motivated in part by watching the years-long legal battle over public access to Martins Beach after billionaire Vinod Khosla locked the gates in 2008.

"We are standing along a strip of beach that I truly believe will become known as one of the great public beach parks in California," Horsley said during a 2018 site visit, according to the Mercury News.

The property has a colorful history. A trust linked to rock singer Chris Isaak purchased the bluff-top land for $3.1 million in 1998. POST acquired it for $5 million in 2017, then sold it at a discount to San Mateo County for $3.2 million in 2020.

The total project cost was roughly $24 million, according to the county parks department. More than $12 million came from private donations to POST, including from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The State of California, San Mateo County, the California State Coastal Conservancy, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and Prop 68 funds covered the rest. In June 2023, the county awarded an $11.6 million construction contract to Gordon Ball Inc. of Alamo.

The opening was originally scheduled for 2025 but was delayed after winter rains triggered two major landslides along the park's cliffs.

Before development, the beach was notorious for illegal camping, all-night raves, bonfires and piles of trash. A San Jose man drowned there in 2016. "We had overnight camping, people living on the beach, massive raves. It was unbelievable. Thankfully that has been put to bed," San Mateo County Parks superintendent Scott Lombardi told the Mercury News.

Supervisor Ray Mueller called the park "a jewel," crediting Horsley's vision for turning a private property into a place where residents can enjoy the coast while protecting sensitive natural resources.

Tunitas Creek Beach is the first major new public beach in the county parks system since Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach opened in 1969. The park joins 24 sites encompassing more than 16,000 acres managed by San Mateo County Parks.

A free audio tour is available in English through the TravelStory app; a Spanish-language version is forthcoming. The park opens daily at 8 a.m., with closing times varying by season.