History
Mori Point was purchased by Stefano Mori in the 1880's, who operated a ranch and inn at the point. The inn remained in operation until 1965, and the building burned down in 1966. During the 1920's, bootleggers used to site to bring alcohol into the Bay Area. Jack Mori was eventually caught with 24,000 barrels of whiskey. After the inn closed, the hillsides were used for motorcycle racing and sand quarrying, creating scars on the hillsides that are still visible.
In 2000, Mori Point was put up for sale at auction, and the Pacifica Land Trust, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land launched a campaign to purchase the property for preservation. The property was purchased at public auction and donated to the Federal Government and added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
In the Fall of 2007, the Mori Point Project, made up of staff from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and volunteers, completed the removal of soil contaminated with diesel fuel, the creation of a new pond and wetlands area and a new path with access steps up to the top of Mori Point bluff.
In popular culture, Mori Point was the site of the famed car-driven-off-cliff scene from the movie Harold and Maude.
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