Mori Point is a highly visible coastal headland perched above the coastal town of Pacifica, and is one of the National Park Service's top priorities on the San Mateo Coast. It has been considered for variety of developments, including condominiums, a hotel, convention center and a casino.

In July of 2000, then-owners of the property obtained a court order to sell the site at public auction, with $2.5 million as the minimum bid. The nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL) indicated it was willing to work with the Pacifica Land Trust to put together a public campaign to raise funds sufficient to participate in the auction.

TPL found a group who was willing to provide a no-interest loan of $2.5 million for acquisition. The California Coastal Conservancy pledged $1.0 million toward achieving the highest bid. TPL won the auction, bidding against potential developers, for $3.3 million. TRL then transferred it to the National Park Service.