Nice loop to North entrance via Whittemore Gulch and Harkins Ridge trails.

Location: Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

» Official Trail Map: High quality map.

» Redwoodhikes Trail Map: Great map showing many parks like Purisima Creek, Huddart, Wunderlich, El Corte De Madera, Foothills, Hidden Villa and Rancho San Antonio. Trail maps for individual parks are available online for free. However, the RedwoodHikes map shows the big picture and is helpful for planning hikes that go through multiple parks.

To North Entrance (3.3 miles): From West Entrance, follow Harkins Ridge Trail (3.3 miles) to North Entrance.

To West Entrance (3.8 miles): From the North Entrance along Skyline Blvd, follow North Ridge Trail (1.0 miles) → left on Whittemore Gulch Trail (2.8 miles) to reach West Entrance.

Location: Intersection of Purisima Creek Rd and Higgins Canyon Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 . Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: From the junction of CA 1 and CA 92 in San Mateo County, drive south 1.2 miles, then turn east onto Higgins Canyon Road (formerly Higgins-Purisima Road). Drive on this narrow road about 4.2 miles, to the trailhead on the left side of the road (just past the tiny white bridge).

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: December 2010)

Capacity: About five to seven cars. Parking is relatively tight here.

Latitude: 37.437555     Longitude: -122.370583