California Historical Landmarks in San Mateo County

California Historical Landmark 94
Portolá Expedition Camp
Crystal Springs Dam on Skyline Boulevard
0.1 Mile South of Crystal Springs Road
4 Miles West of San Mateo

Crystal Springs Watershed Near Sawyer Camp Trailhead Crystal Springs Watershed Near Sawyer Camp Trailhead
26 October 2004
(Click Photo to Enlarge)

Portolá Expedition Camp

The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped on November 5 at a 'laguna grande' which today is covered by the Upper Crystal Springs Lake.

Citation from California Office of Historic Preservation

We were unable to locate a commemorative plaque for the Portolá Expedition Camp at Crystal Springs Reservoir. Here's a list of other California Historical Landmarks which had no bear flag plaque when we visited them.

Portolá Expedition of 1769

Under orders from King Carlos III of Spain, Gaspar de Portolá i Rovira and Franciscan Father John Crespi marched north from San Diego on 14 July 1769 with sixty-three soldiers and one hundred mules.

Their destination was Monterey Bay, but they missed the fog-shrouded bay and instead became the first documented Europeans to see the San Francisco Bay.

Just seven years later, Spain founded Misión San Francisco de Asís on 29 June 1776.

The California Coastal Trail traces much of the route, and twelve California Landmarks in San Mateo County commemorate the expedition:

October 23: Mouth of Gazos Creek
October 24: Mouth of San Gregorio Creek
October 26: Tunitas Indian Village

October 27: Mouth of Purisima Creek
October 28: Mouth of Pilarcitos Creek
October 30: Martini Creek

October 31: San Pedro Creek
November 4: Sweeney Ridge
November 4: San Andreas Lake

November 5: Cañada de Andreas
November 6: San Francisquito Creek
November 11: Cañada de Reymundo

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