Finding Fall in the Redwoods

Fall Color Hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods

Hundred-foot-redwoods, flowing creeks, yellow-tinged sycamores, big views of the Pacific—all these are on the Thanksgiving menu at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, just east of Half Moon Bay. This rugged 3,000-acre preserve was established with the help of a multimillion-dollar gift from the Save the Redwoods League. Start on the Purisima Creek Trail under a multicolored canopy of redwoods and sycamores, hiking along the creek past lush ferns and luminous big-leaf maples. If you're looking for an easy out-and-back hike, just follow the creek for a mile or two and then turn around. If you prefer a 7-mile grand tour with a series of ups and downs, continue along the Purisima Creek Trail, then veer up Craig Britton Trail and down Harkins Ridge trails. Craig Britton Trail is a sweet singletrack cut into the side of a lush canyon; at one picturesque point it crosses a wooden bridge. Enjoy the change of scenery as you move from dense redwood forest to an open ridge that reveals miles of galloping hills all the way to the ocean. After completing this hike, you'll have bragging rights for Thanksgiving—even if you lose that game of Trivial Pursuit.

Park at the western entrance of the preserve on Higgins Canyon Rd., off of Hwy. 1, east of Half Moon Bay. For directions go to the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve website. Pick up a map at the trailhead. Be sure to have shoes with good traction for the hike down Harkins Ridge Trail. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View