Portolá Journey's End

The expedition camped here on 6 November 1769, and here it gave up. The scouts came back on the 10th, downcast: no pasture, no sign of Monterey, another estuary barring the way north. Next day Portolá called his officers together and they gave their votes in writing. They resolved to turn back and look for Monterey behind them. The missionary priests were asked their opinion for courtesy's sake and agreed. The camp moved that afternoon. The bronze says only that they ended the search.

What the plaque says

Under this giant redwood, the Palo Alto, November 6 to 11, 1769, camped Portola and his band on the expedition that discovered San Francisco Bay. This was the assembling point for their reconnoitering parties. Here in 1774 Padre Palou erected a cross to mark the site of a proposed mission (which later was built at Santa Clara). The celebrated Pedro Font topographical map of 1776 contained the drawing of the original double trunked tree making the Palo Alto the first official living California landmark. Placed by the Historic Landmark Committee Native Sons of the Golden West Nov 7 1926 Portolá Journey's End November 6-10, 1769 Near "El Palo Alto", the tall tree, the Portolá expedition of 63 men and 200 horses and mules camped. They had traveled from San Diego in search of Monterey but discovered instead the Bay of San Francisco. Finding the bay too large to go around, and deciding that Monterey had been by-passed, they ended the search and returned to San Diego. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 2 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Portolá Expedition Bicentennial Foundation, November 9, 1968.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Hostess House — 0.5 mi
• Capidro — 0.6 mi
• Menlo Park Railroad Station — 0.8 mi
• Electronics Research Laboratory — 0.8 mi