San Francisco Bay Discovery Site

The San Francisco Bay Discovery Site is where the first recorded European discovery of San Francisco Bay took place on November 4, 1769. Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà, unable to find the port of Monterey, California, continued north close to what is now Pacifica. Short on water and food, Portolà and an expedition of 63 men and 200 horses left the coast to journey inland, reaching the summit of the 1,200-foot (370 m) high Sweeney Ridge, where he saw San Francisco Bay.

Sweeney Ridge is located in northern San Mateo County and is now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where a monument marks the discovery site.

The site is both a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.