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There’s Always More to See at Mori Point

By Historic Gardens Steward Robert Vergara, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Hillside covered in blooming wildflowers, especially in shades of yellow and purple. The turquoise ocean sparkles beyond it. Other coastal promontories in the distance separate the ocean from the active, clear and cloudy sky above.
The vivid tapestry of native flowers atop Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Mori Point in Pacifica, CA.

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy / Robert Vergara

June 2025 - Western gulls cried overhead as the afternoon sun broke through the clouds at Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Mori Point, bathing the iconic Pacifica promontory in a golden light. The clifftop’s crown of blooming wildflowers brightened the scene even more. A brisk breeze imbued with the scent of sea salt greeted our group as we crested the top of the Lishumsha Trail. Our lively banter transitioned into a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” as we took in the colorful tapestry woven by our native plants.

As one of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s latest batch of interns, I had the pleasure and privilege of touring park sites with my fellow newcomers, meeting the folks that steward them along the way. As fate would have it, Mori Point — my childhood hiking spot — ended up being a stop on this memorable expedition.

If you’ve had even a single conversation with me, chances are you will come away with two nuggets of knowledge: my name, and the fact that I am Filipino. When I was a child, my mother immigrated to the Bay Area with me and my siblings in tow, fueled by the ambition of realizing the “American Dream” for the betterment of her children’s futures.

My younger self harbored dreams that were much smaller in scope than my mother’s. In fact, my first order of business was asking to go to the beach. As I write this story, I now recognize I longed to be embraced by nature to soothe the heartbreak of leaving my motherland and my other family members behind.

The author as a teenager wearing a blue "Surf Life" t-shirt, posing in an expansive grassy field with his arm extending up over a distant mountain with a distinct volcanic profile.
My teenage self, trying and failing to pose with Mt. Arayat.

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy / Robert Vergara

Back home in Pampanga, I ran wild with my brother and the other neighborhood kids chasing dragonflies and frogs through the lush plains cradled by Mounts Arayat and Pinatubo. With my hometown being hours away from the nearest coast, my idea of the Philippines was less tropical paradise and more endless paddies and pastures.

Now, imagine how absolutely blown my mind was when I laid eyes on the Pacific for the first time at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. My young brain could hardly comprehend this sparkling stretch of water that extended beyond the horizon, teeming with mystery, possibility, and hope.

Even though Ocean Beach is my first love, my family’s go-to spot for a morning hike or a nature day was always Mori Point. I like to joke that Mori Point witnessed my coming-of-age story unfold. From celebrating my fifth-grade graduation to asking my high school crush to be my partner, this humble promontory has seen me through it all.

Despite having grown alongside Mori Point for over a decade, it still surprises me with its generosity each time I visit. Of course, the parklands tour was no exception to this. While admiring how the sky lupine and tidy-tips danced in the wind, my eyes were drawn to the cerulean waters below by a sight I’ve never witnessed there before—a pod of dolphins frolicking in the surf! Truly, there is always more to see at Mori Point.

Group of dolphins at the surface of the blue ocean on a sunny day. One is just beneath the surface, the next is preaking the surface with its dorsal fin, and the third is reaching its whole head above the surface.
Dolphins swimming together in the surf near Mori Point.

© californiagrey / Photo 177488855 / 01-28-2022 / iNaturalist.org / CC BY-NC

That day of wonder soon crystallized into a familiar lesson: our lives abound with gifts, as long as we are open to receiving them. Some might say it is overly sentimental to say this about wildflowers and sea animals. After all, it’s not like Mother Nature herself is writing me a million dollar check for my birthday. However, natural places like Mori Point have granted me a priceless gift: a welcoming space for healing, for connection, for learning, and for joy.

When I take a stroll at Mori Point, I marvel at the same ocean whose currents flow to the shores of the Philippines. I imagine the water snaking its way through estuaries until it reaches the Pampanga River to nourish the roots of the lush Luzon plains I hold so dear. I have sown a piece of myself in my motherland that is there to stay. Thankfully, I am lucky enough to be connected to that piece by the glittering expanse of blue bridging both of my homes together with salt and surf.

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Last updated: July 1, 2025