The town of Moss Beach began as a resort destination, with its first hotel built in 1881by German immigrant Juergen Wienke. From 1907 through 1920, the Ocean Shore Railroad hugged the shoreline from San Francisco to Tunitas Glen. It brought an influx of visitors from San Francisco and resulted in the growth of the small coastal communities. Moss Beach experiences above average fog levels and has high quality air. It is noteworthy for the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the Cypress Tunnels. The tunnels are created by overhanging cypress trees on both sides of the path which create a horseshoe-like trail of cypress overhangs. The trail leads to an outlook over the bluffs. In 1969, the Moss Beach tide pool area, now the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, was designated as a natural reserve for plants and animals adapted to live at the edge of the ocean.