It is operated by the California State Department of Parks and Recreation under the San Mateo Coast Sector Office.

[2] A lighthouse operated as a hostel is part of the state park.

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolà expedition, camped in this area on October 30, 1769, possibly at Martini Creek,[3] which reaches the sea at Montara beach (Bolton says San Vicente Creek, farther south).

Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi noted in his diary, "We stopped not far from the shore at the foot of some hills which prevent us from passing along the beach.

They form a valley sheltered from the north, from which flows an arroyo with plenty of good water...on account of the large number of mussels which they found on this beach, very good and large, the men called it Punta de las Almejas.