Arts & Entertainment

Weekly Walker: Hike Among Trailside Giants That Escaped Loggers' Pursuit

Written by Tom Davids

“If you want to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk.”  —Proverb


The Grand Purisima Loop

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

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Directions: Go west on Highway 92 to Skyline Boulevard. Turn left and continue 4.5 miles south to the parking lot, west side of the highway.

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Grade: Strenuous, 1,600-foot elevation gain.

Trail Map:  www.openspace.org and search for Purisima Creek Redwoods.

Distance: 10.1 miles.

Time: Five  hours.

Special Conditions: Watch for poison oak at upper elevation. Restroom available at trailhead and at Higgins-Purisima parking lot. Drinking water not available. Dogs are not allowed. Preserve administered by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

With 3,107 forested acres and 21 miles of hiking trails, Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a great place for a close-in getaway. Panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, rushing streams, and deep canyons with towering redwoods and Douglas fir (providing canopy for assorted ferns, berries, and wildflowers) make this preserve a hiker’s paradise.

This hike begins at the Purisima parking lot, located 4.5 miles south of Highway 92 on Skyline Boulevard. From the trailhead, follow the narrow “hikers only” trail, descending through a fir tree forest laced with ferns and forget-me-nots to the junction with the Harkins Fire Trail. Turning left, the trail continues laterally below the Skyline Ridge for the next half-mile, moving in and out of ravines at an elevation between 1,600 and 1,700 feet. 

As the trail swings through the last ravine, it ascends gently to a knoll and a fine rest stop with unobstructed views of the coastline north of Half Moon Bay and of the deep Purisima Creek Canyon through which we will hike. From the knoll, the trail (more of a fire road over this segment) drops steeply for 0.3 mile to the junction with Soda Gulch Trail. Soda Gulch is a trail for hikers only. Equestrians and bicyclists must continue on Harkins Trail another 2.1 miles to Purisima Creek.

Turn left and continue on the Soda Gulch Trail for 2.4 miles. Once you hike this trail, I think you will agree that it is one of the best on the Peninsula. 

The trail begins in chaparral and ends in deep redwoods. You will also pass by a wide-spreading oak tree and over seasonal streams, through forests of second-growth redwoods and along a few trailside giants that escaped the loggers’ pursuit a hundred years ago. After you explore the ins and outs of Soda Gulch and No Name Gulch, you will join the Purisima Creek Trail.

For the next 2.3 miles, follow Purisima Creek as it winds along the canyon floor. Along the way, watch for cleared areas that once were sites of sawmills. Most of the mills were owned by the Borden and Hatch families. The original Borden-Hatch Mill was located at the bottom of the canyon, close to the junction with Whittemore Gulch Trail. Purisima Creek runs year-round, but it is at its finest after a series of winter rains.

The Whittemore Gulch Trail starts at Purisima Creek and ends at Skyline Boulevard, an elevation gain of 1,400 feet over almost four miles. After hiking about a mile along the gulch, you will come upon a small grove of giant trees, one of which is believed to be 1,200 years old. From there, the trail switchbacks up the south-facing slope. As the forest recedes, the views open up, and you will see across the gulch to the trails you hiked a few hours ago. The one-half mile North Ridge Trail brings you to Harkins Ridge Trail junction. From there, retrace your steps to the parking lot on Skyline Boulevard.

A grand loop and a great hike!

 


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