Harkins Ridge, Craig Britton, Purisima Creek Trail is a 7.6 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Half Moon Bay, California that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and mountain biking and is accessible year-round.
hiking
mountain biking
running
forest
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
over grown
no dogs
As of June 2020, due to COVID-19 parking restrictions are place along Highway 35, Purisima Creek Road and Higgins Canyon Road. Preserve parking is very limited at this time. Specific info regarding further restrictions can be found here: https://www.openspace.org/preserves/purisima-creek-redwoods
Nice hike some good uphills to get the cardio going. Lots of tree shade along the way and many fallen trees and logs to stop and enjoy the outdoors.
Very pretty trail. Went clockwise as suggested for the steep ascent. Arrived at 8am on a Sunday and parking was possible but a little challenging.
Fira G.
As comments suggest, go reverse. Not as beautiful viewed as on other trails. Saw few banana slugs
This hike is AWESOME! I took some of the reviewers advice and went in through the Purisma Creek Trail and exited over the Harkins Ridge bridge. Best advice ever! I couldn’t imagine hiking UP those steep hills! There were banana slugs, caterpillars and other wildlife as well as beautiful nature to enjoy! I will be doing this again. My kids would love it!
M D recorded Recording - Jun 16, 7:07 PM
hard to find parking, had to wait for people to leave (around 4 pm). parking lot only has about 5-6 spaces and then everyone else parks on the side. it was very hilly the first 3 miles and then the rest is pretty mild and a steady decline. very beautiful views in the forest and very shady overall. the craig briton trail is quite narrow and has lots of plants surrounding it and sometimes has some spiky looking plants that protrude into the path. we saw a few banana slugs as well. took us 3 hours to do 7.6 miles, and wasn’t very crowded at all.
I love this hike so much. Wonderful mix of redwoods and oak trees. Be careful where you park! I saw lots of tickets in areas where there were no parking signs
Purisima is one of the most beautiful trails I’ve hiked. There is plenty of shade, redwood trees and ferns. I hiked counter clockwise and the ascent to the top can be steep at times. The view at the top is gorgeous. The descent from the top is gradual with beautiful views of rolling hills.
Beautiful and diverse hike. Love the redwoods along the very shaded Purisima Creek Trail and the wildflowers along the Harkins Ridge Trail. If you go clockwise, it will be a very steep accent for the first two miles, then milder decent. On the other hand, if you go counterclockwise, it will be mild accent for the first 5 miles and very steep decent for the last two miles. It may hurt your knees. Parking is very limited. If you park beyond the point they say not to park, you will get a ticket.
Had great hike with my family, 68 year old mom, wife, 2 daughters, 22 month and 4 and half years old, Was lil tough for my 4 and half year old, but she made it whole loop. Definitely will go back when it’s hot day. Parking will be tough but we got lucky not many people were out.
Personal note: consider reverse- shade and gradual incline all way up. Then steeper decline. Very pretty lots of shade
one of the best hikes in Bay area. lots of greenery and flowing water through out the trail.
What a great hike! We hiked it counter clockwise as we wanted to enjoy the slow descend down. A continuous 2 mile steep uphill hike was totally worth the slow descend by the river stream. There are so many places you can stop for lunch or snacks. It took us 5 hours to complete the trail plus to and from where our car was parked ( Had to park 0.5miles away as the p-lot was full). We took multiple breaks to enjoy the view and the sound of the water was soothing! Loved the hike.
What a treat! This trail has everything from Redwoods to views of the ocean to wild flowers to oak tree groves. Parking is very limited due to Covid. I had to park about a mile down the road and then walked to the trailhead. Beautiful country road to walk along though!
This is quite easily my favorite hike yet! I am doing a 100 Hike challenge for @hiker_babes and this was a beauty!! We saw so much wildlife, deer, blue tailed skink, caterpillars of all types, butterflies, and 121 banana slugs! Yep, counted them all!! 8 mile hike, worth the grueling incline at the beginning (we went clockwise)!!
Stunning views ! If you love trees and lots of green, you’ll love this! Great hike! I ran some of the flat parts up and down and my lower abs were sore the next day.
Beautiful trail along the creek in an old growth Redwood grove. Must have passed by 12 small streams feeding the creek after a rain yesterday. The hike up the ridge is gradual in the clockwise direction, a real workout in the opposite. There’s a view of the Pacific at the top of the ridge.
Beautiful forest
