Año Nuevo State Park, in San Mateo County, preserves and protects the scenic, biological, ecological, and cultural values of the central California coastline, including Año Nuevo Island and properties on the western slope of the coast range inland from Año Nuevo Point. The park protects and interprets the pinniped rookeries, a prime resource, and significant wildlife habitats on Año Nuevo Island and the mainland. It also contains sensitive native dunes and coastal terrace prairie habitats, and a diversity of inland plant communities, including old growth forest, freshwater marsh, red alder riparian forest and knobcone pine forest. Its four perennial streams support steelhead trout and coho salmon, and its wetlands are habitat to the rare San Francisco garter snake and red-legged frog. Cultural resources include the remnants of Native California Indian Ohlone occupation of the area and a number of structures from the nineteenth century Cascade Ranch and historic Steele Ranch. In conjunction with adjacent and nearby public lands, the unit protects important regional ecological corridors and linkages.
On Saturday, January 28, 2012, the San Mateo Coast Natural History Association (SMCNHA), and California State Parks will host Seal Adventure Saturday, a special fundraising event to support educational and interpretive programs at Año Nuevo State Park and other state parks along the San Mateo coast. For one day only, visitors will have extraordinary access to linger for an entire morning or afternoon to view the elephant seals at the peak of the breeding season. This is a rare opportunity, one that can be enjoyed by everyone—from families to avid wildlife photographers. California State Parks will preserve, protect, restore, interpret and manage the unit's archaeological, cultural, natural, aesthetic and scenic resources, making them available to the public for their educational, inspirational and recreational benefits
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