This document is the 2001 update of the San Mateo County Trails Plan. Trails planning on a county-wide level dates back nearly 25 years. The 2001 update is the third iteration of the Trails Plan.
In 1991, the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Commission requested the Trails Advisory Committee to review two trail routes, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and the California Coast Trail.
In 1995, the Trails Advisory Committee proposed an update to the 1990 Trails Plan. However, this plan was not adopted because of a lack of adequate environmental documentation. Since 1995, the Trails Advisory Committee has continued to refine the trail route proposals. The last revision to the Plan was made by the committee in 2001.