Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve Hiking Guide
Just about an hour south of San Francisco you can step into another world and walk among redwood giants. If Fern Gully was real, this would be the exact place to find woodland fairies! One of our all-time favorite hikes is the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve. This park has over 24 miles of trails, some with steep inclines so you will really be getting your cardio! If you are visiting the coastal Half Moon Bay area this is a great half-day hike. Click here to get directions to any of the trailheads.
We always start at the bottom of the trail (Higgins Canyon Rd) and hike up to the top of the mountain. This way we get a good workout early on and the view from the top makes it all worth the burn. The scenery begins deep in the redwoods with 300 foot tall redwood trees covering the sky. The forest floor is filled with ferns and a creek that runs for miles. As you travel upwards more and more light peeps through until it's all open sky. At the top you can see gorgeous views of the forest skyline reaching all the way to the ocean. I highly recommend this trail for anyone in the Bay Area looking for a great day trip outdoors. Soak up the sunshine, pack the sunscreen and hit the trail!