Tucked along Cañada Road in Redwood City, just south of Crystal Springs Reservoir, the Pulgas Water Temple looks like it was lifted straight out of ancient Greece. Its ring of fluted columns topped with Corinthian capitals stands at the end of a long reflecting pool, framed by lawns and rows of cypress trees, which makes it one of the most photogenic spots on the Peninsula. The temple marks the place where Hetch Hetchy water from the Sierra Nevada first reached the Bay Area. In 1934, about 20,000 people gathered here to celebrate the water's arrival, and the permanent temple, designed by San Francisco architect William Merchant, was completed in 1938. In 2025 it received the American Water Works Association's Water Landmarks Award, joining sites like the Hoover Dam. The grounds are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but the parking lot is open on weekdays only, so weekend visitors need to walk, bike, or park nearby and stroll in.

A note on hours: older listings (Yelp, AllTrails, some blogs) still say 9 to 3:30 weekdays only, but the most recent official word comes from the SFPUC, which manages the site. The grounds are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., remain accessible to pedestrians, hikers, cyclists, and equestrians during the same hours on weekends and federal holidays, while the parking lot closes to vehicles on weekends and holidays. Several sources also mention a 30-minute parking limit, which is worth adding if you want to give readers a practical tip. Since hours can change, it's smart to link readers to the SFPUC's Pulgas page so they can double-check before booking.