Address: 37°26'47.8"N 122°26'15.9"W
Parking: Free parking lot at the address above. Trailhead is at the end of the parking lot.
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Type: Walk (on-leash)
Regulations: Dogs allowed on-leash
Description: This 206-acre hidden gem is a beautiful walk along the coast through this preserve. A 1.5-mile section of the California Coastal Trail runs through this preserve, but there are quite a few other unmarked trails traversing it. Finding this open space is a bit tricky, as there isn’t much signage. To know where to turn off the highway, look for a red double-decker bus and a giant pumpkin.
The trail begins at the very end of this road at the end of the parking lot for the baseball field. There’s a faded sign near the trail entrance (about 50 feet in), but you won’t see another one for a couple miles.
You’ll have to use your sense of direction to explore this park since it lacks signage, but it’s worth it because you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself. We come here every time we visit Half Moon Bay and run into few people during hours of hiking. The trail along the bluffs yields sweeping ocean views as far up the coast as you can see. There is also an interesting grove of trees in the middle of the park, with an unmarked trail running through the center. This grove reminded me of a smaller version of the Cypress Tree Tunnel in Point Reyes. I do recommend keeping your dog on-leash, as the coastal trail runs right along the bluffs, and it’s a steep drop down to the beach below. There are also large cracks in the ground near the bluffs, as if the earth just opened up, and your dog could hurt a leg if it falls through. Our usual route takes us from the baseball field entrance to the left and then straight down to the beach. We walk along the beach a couple miles until there's a trail back up to the bluffs. Each time we go to the beach we see horseback riders. The waves can be strong here, so be careful with your dog, but there's plenty of places to dip your paws in. There's another large parking lot at the trail that leads up from the beach (but you have to pay for it, and it's very crowded). The main trail leads back to where we parked and you can see the crowd dissipate as you get further from the beach.
There is a garbage can and doggy clean-up bags at the baseball field entrance. At the beach entrance, if you make it that far, there are porta potties. Bring plenty of water, as there is no running water.
Parking: Free parking lot at the address above. Trailhead is at the end of the parking lot.
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Type: Walk (on-leash)
Regulations: Dogs allowed on-leash
Description: This 206-acre hidden gem is a beautiful walk along the coast through this preserve. A 1.5-mile section of the California Coastal Trail runs through this preserve, but there are quite a few other unmarked trails traversing it. Finding this open space is a bit tricky, as there isn’t much signage. To know where to turn off the highway, look for a red double-decker bus and a giant pumpkin.
The trail begins at the very end of this road at the end of the parking lot for the baseball field. There’s a faded sign near the trail entrance (about 50 feet in), but you won’t see another one for a couple miles.
You’ll have to use your sense of direction to explore this park since it lacks signage, but it’s worth it because you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself. We come here every time we visit Half Moon Bay and run into few people during hours of hiking. The trail along the bluffs yields sweeping ocean views as far up the coast as you can see. There is also an interesting grove of trees in the middle of the park, with an unmarked trail running through the center. This grove reminded me of a smaller version of the Cypress Tree Tunnel in Point Reyes. I do recommend keeping your dog on-leash, as the coastal trail runs right along the bluffs, and it’s a steep drop down to the beach below. There are also large cracks in the ground near the bluffs, as if the earth just opened up, and your dog could hurt a leg if it falls through. Our usual route takes us from the baseball field entrance to the left and then straight down to the beach. We walk along the beach a couple miles until there's a trail back up to the bluffs. Each time we go to the beach we see horseback riders. The waves can be strong here, so be careful with your dog, but there's plenty of places to dip your paws in. There's another large parking lot at the trail that leads up from the beach (but you have to pay for it, and it's very crowded). The main trail leads back to where we parked and you can see the crowd dissipate as you get further from the beach.
There is a garbage can and doggy clean-up bags at the baseball field entrance. At the beach entrance, if you make it that far, there are porta potties. Bring plenty of water, as there is no running water.
