Pulgas Water Temple

Drive north on Cañada Road past Filoli and you pass a gate, a small lawn and then something unexpected: a circle of fluted stone columns rising above a long, still pool lined with cypress trees. This is the Pulgas Water Temple, built by the City of San Francisco to celebrate the day in 1934 when water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada first reached the Peninsula. It costs nothing to visit, takes half an hour to see and makes a fine stop on a drive or bike ride through the watershed lands west of Interstate 280.

The catch is access. The parking lot is open only on weekdays. The grounds also close for Saturday weddings in season. This guide covers the hours and rules posted by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) as of early November 2026, the story behind the monument and how to fit it into a day from Palo Alto.

Hours and access in November 2026

The SFPUC's Pulgas Water Temple page lists two sets of hours:

We found no other closure posted on the SFPUC page in early November. Since federal holidays count as weekend days, the lot will be closed on Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11, 2026), Thanksgiving (November 26), Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The Friday after Thanksgiving is not a federal holiday, so the weekday rules should apply that day, but check the page before you go.

Parking is free and limited to the small lot inside the gate. SFPUC asks visitors to obey the no parking signs on Cañada Road and not to block the entrance gate. If the lot is closed or full, do not leave your car on the shoulder.

Why there is a temple here

After the 1906 earthquake, much of San Francisco burned because there was not enough water to fight the fires. The city's answer was the Hetch Hetchy Project, which dammed a valley in Yosemite National Park and carried its water more than 160 miles across California by tunnel and pipeline. SFPUC says the project took 24 years to build, through the Great Depression, at a cost of $102 million. Our page on the 1906 earthquake at Stanford and Palo Alto covers how the quake hit closer to home.

On October 28, 1934, the first Hetch Hetchy water arrived here, at the end of the aqueduct above Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir. SFPUC says 20,000 people gathered for the celebration and a national radio broadcast carried it across the country. Crews built a temporary temple for the occasion. The permanent stone version was completed in 1938.

The architect was William Merchant, a San Francisco architect trained by Bernard Maybeck. He drew on Greek and Roman forms, with fluted columns and Corinthian capitals, because the new water system borrowed engineering methods from those ancient builders. Stone carver Albert Bernasconi turned the drawings into stone. The frieze above the columns carries a line from Isaiah: "I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people."

In May 2025 the American Water Works Association gave the temple its Water Landmarks Award, which honors water infrastructure more than 50 years old. SFPUC noted at the time that the temple page was among the five most viewed pages on its whole website.

What you see on a visit

• The temple. A ring of columns open to the sky, with the inscription running around the top. Water once poured through a vault beneath it. The opening is now covered by a grate.
• The reflecting pool. A long rectangular pool lined with cypress trees stretches west from the temple. It is the classic photo, with the columns reflected in still water on a calm morning.
• Interpretive panels. Signs around the grounds explain the regional water system and the Peninsula watershed.
• The setting. Open grassland and oak hills, with the Crystal Springs reservoirs and the Santa Cruz Mountains beyond.

One thing you will not see is water rushing through the temple. Originally the water fell through the vault and ran about 800 feet down a canal into Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir. Since about 2004 it has been diverted to a nearby treatment facility first, so the temple is purely a monument now. That does not spoil the view, but it surprises people who have seen older photos.

The grounds have been used for weddings, commercials and films for decades. Oliver Stone used the temple for a concert scene in his 1991 film The Doors. For commercial shoots or weddings, contact SFPUC through its page rather than showing up with equipment. Our guide to photography spots lists other good locations nearby.

Rules and facilities

• No dogs. SFPUC bans dogs to protect the watershed and water quality.
• No picnic tables or benches. You can sit on the grass, but pack out all trash.
• Restrooms. Portable toilets only, with no handwashing station.
• Water. A drinking fountain stands near the parking lot as you enter.
• Weddings. Ceremonies are booked on Saturdays from April through October. The grounds close to the public while they take place.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

The temple is about 12 miles from downtown Palo Alto, roughly 20 minutes on a weekday. SFPUC's directions: take Interstate 280 to the Edgewood Road exit, go west on Edgewood Road to Cañada Road, then north on Cañada Road for about two miles. Remember that the lot is only open Monday to Friday. There is no practical public transit to the site.

By bike

Cañada Road is one of the most popular road rides near Palo Alto, with rolling hills and reservoir views. On weekends, when the lot is closed, cyclists can still walk their bikes in through the pedestrian gate. San Mateo County also runs Bicycle Sunday, which opens Cañada Road along the Crystal Springs Regional Trail to non-motorized use. The county says it is canceled on holiday weekends because of staffing shortages, so check its page before you plan around it. Our biking guide covers routes from town. Visitors without a bike can rent a road bike for the day.

On foot

SFPUC notes that hikers and bikers can reach the temple using the Crystal Springs Regional Trail. The trail's Sawyer Camp segment, farther north, is covered on our Sawyer Camp Trail page.

Make a half day of it

The temple takes 20 to 40 minutes to see, so pair it with something nearby:

1. Filoli. The historic house and gardens are a few minutes south on Cañada Road. See our Filoli guide for tickets and seasons. Its holiday lights run from November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
2. Edgewood Park. Wildflower meadows and serpentine grassland just across Interstate 280. Our Edgewood Park page covers trails and parking.
3. Woodside. Lunch in the village and a look at the historic Woodside Store. Our guide to where to eat in Woodside lists places confirmed open.

Do not confuse this place with Pulgas Ridge Preserve in San Carlos. That is a Midpen open space preserve with trails and a large off-leash dog area, several miles away. If you are visiting from out of town and want to stay close to the hills, you can compare hotels in Redwood City and Woodside.

Frequently asked questions