The Ohlone of Pruristac first took limestone here. From 1776 the Spanish used Indian labor to quarry it for the San Francisco Presidio and missions, and Francisco Sanchez used its whitewash on his adobe. After the 1906 earthquake the quarry reopened in 1907, supplying ballast for the Ocean Shore Railroad and stone to rebuild the city.
The quarry closed for good in 1987. Voters rejected development plans for it in 2005 (Measure L) and in 2016. It is privately held and used as an informal hiking trail.