NEWS: At Crystal Springs, New Markers Highlight Ohlone Role in Portolá Expedition
San Mateo County, California sent this bulletin at 04/27/2026 02:30 PM PDT
April 27, 2026
For Immediate Release
At Crystal Springs, New Markers Highlight Ohlone Role in Portolá Expedition
SAN MATEO — On a cool spring morning near Crystal Springs Dam, where deer moved through the hills above the reservoir, local officials gathered Friday to unveil interpretive panels and a historic marker highlighting the role of the Ramaytush Ohlone in guiding the 1769 expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá.
The installation is part of the Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail, an ambitious effort to trace the expedition’s route through San Mateo County while recognizing the Ohlone who lived in the region for thousands of years before Spanish arrival.
“To be able to see it, understand that moment and communicate it to the next generation is so important,” San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller said at the dedication ceremony. “And to do it in a way that is respectful and accurate makes this incredibly meaningful.”
The installation sits near the southern entrance to Sawyer Camp Trail, one of the county’s most popular recreation areas, where officials said they hope visitors will pause to read the panels.
The ceremony marked a milestone in the yearslong project to document the roughly 90-mile route the Portolá expedition took through what is now San Mateo County.
