Schools and community groups wanting a naturalist-led tidepool tour at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve will need to call early when a month-long reservation window opens Monday, August 31.
San Mateo County Parks announced that any group of 15 or more must reserve a spot for the guided tours, which pair visitors with rangers and trained volunteer naturalists at the Moss Beach reserve. The tours are open to students in third grade and older.
Schools that receive federal funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act get first priority in the reservation schedule. The federal law targets schools serving high proportions of low-income students, meaning those campuses will have the earliest access to tour dates before the window opens to other groups.
How to book
Reservations are phone-only. Groups call the San Mateo County Parks reservations line at (650) 363-4021, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the county's reservations page. No online booking is available.
Groups smaller than 15 can visit the reserve on their own without a reservation.
The county also offers a free online Pre-Field Trip Tidepool Program that prepares grade school classes before they reach the shore.
Why it matters
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, located at 200 Nevada St. in Moss Beach along the San Mateo County coast, is the most visited park in the county system, drawing more than 130,000 visitors each year. The tidepools hold as many as 1,000 different forms of animal and plant life, according to the Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, making it one of the greatest concentrations of intertidal life in the world by number of species.
The reserve sits within the Montara State Marine Reserve, a Marine Protected Area under the Marine Life Protection Act. Collecting, disturbing, or removing any plant or animal is prohibited.
San Mateo County Parks said the group reservation requirement ensures a better learning experience while reducing impact on marine life in the reserve.
The reservation window runs approximately through the end of September, based on the county's description of a "month-long" period beginning August 31. The county has not specified when the tours themselves begin or what season they cover.
What to know
- Who: Groups of 15 or more (students third grade and older for school tours)
- When: Reservation window opens Monday, August 31
- Where: Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, 200 Nevada St., Moss Beach
- How: Call (650) 363-4021, Mon.–Thu., 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Priority: ESSA-funded schools book first
- Small groups: Fewer than 15 people can visit without a reservation
