Blufftop
Coastal Park/Half Moon Bay State Beach,
City of Half Moon Bay/California State Parks,
San Mateo County
In brief:
2.8 mile loop along bluffs and beach.
Getting there:
From CA 1 in San Mateo County, about 0.8 mile south of the CA 92 junction, turn
west onto Poplar. Drive west on Poplar about 0.6 mile, to the parking lot at the
end of the road.
Trailhead details:
No parking or entrance fees. Parking in a paved lot. No maps or drinking water.
There are portable toilets and four designated handicapped parking spots (restrooms
and drinking water can be found near the campground at the state beach). A paved
path is well suited to wheelchairs and strollers. There is no direct public transportation
to the trailhead. Half Moon Bay State Beach is within walking distance of SamTrans
bus #294. Visit the Transit
Info website for details. There are several other beach access trailheads
along the coast in Half Moon Bay; look for the coastal access signs along Highway
1. If you've come to camp at Half Moon Bay State Beach, turn west onto Kelly Avenue,
north of Poplar.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, restaurants, and pay phones in Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay State
Beach has a bluff-top campground for tents and RVs (upgraded in 2004).
Rules:
Half Moon Bay State Beach hours: 8 a.m. - sunset (gates may be open earlier).
Blufftop Coastal Park parking lot hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (standard time)/6 a.m.
to 8 p.m. (daylight time). Trails and beach at Blufftop Coastal Park are open
to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. Half Moon State Beach has paved multi-use
paths, dirt multi-use trails, and hiking-only paths. Dogs are not permitted on
every trail described below. They are permitted on-leash only on the blufftop
trails in both parks. No dogs or horses are permitted on the beach at Half Moon
State Beach.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 2.8 mile loop walk is very easy.
The Official Story:
CSP's Half
Moon Bay State Beach page
Half Moon Bay State Beach park office 650-726-8819
City of Half Moon Bay's Parks and Recreation Department office 650-726-8297
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Park
brochure (pdf) includes map
• Trails of the Coastside and Northern Peninsula has a good map of
the area, and is helpful in getting there (available from Pease
Press).
• Peninsula Trails, by Jean Rusmore, has a simple map and trail descriptions
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
Half
Moon Bay beaches in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured
walk.
View
photos from this hike.
The blufftop trail stretching from Half Moon 
Bay
to Miramar is a wonderful course for walkers who want to be close to the ocean
without getting sand in their shoes. More than 3 miles end to end, Coastside Trail
offers sweeping seaside views, good bird watching, and easy beach access. Half
Moon Bay State Park provides amenities including a campground and restrooms, but
you can start a walk from more minor trailheads at the end of a few Half Moon
Bay streets. Blufftop Coastal Park features lots of free parking at the southern
terminus of the trail.
Start on either the dirt or paved path heading north
(the dirt trail is mostly used by equestrians and is lumpy). The empty field on
the right is prime hunting territory for raptors; on my walk I saw a Cooper's
hawk and 5 northern harriers looking for lunch. Views of the coastline are spectacular
along the level multi-use trail. A few neighborhood access paths cut across the
field at intervals. 
At
0.75 mile, the trail enters Half Moon Bay State Beach, and swings east, crossing
the park access road. Keep walking north on the paved trail as it passes the entrance
kiosk and then runs along the campground access road. Once past the developed
area of the park, the paved trail returns to a quieter area, with dunes on the
left dotted with yellow bush lupine, lizardtail, coyote brush, buckwheat, and
sagebrush. At 1.35 miles, you'll reach a junction with a boardwalk on the left,
just before a bridge crossing Pilarcitos Creek. If you'd like to extend the walk,
you can continue north about another 2 miles on the paved trail, which ends at
Miramar Beach. Turn left.
The boardwalk heads west to the beach, but turn left
onto a narrow sandy path.
Traversing loose sand, the tiny path 
squeezes
through dunes where snowy plovers nest, and guidewires protect their habitat.
Coyote brush is common, and you might also see yellow sand verbena, yellow bush
lupine, lizardtail, wild radish, and mustard. I saw another harrier perched on
a little pile of uprooted plants on the left -- they seem to prefer hunting close
to the ground. At 1.60 mile the path ends at the park's campfire ring. If you
want to return along the bluff, walk south through the campground and pick up
the paved trail again, past the ranger station. Bear right and descend to the
beach.
After just a few steps through a break in the dunes,
you'll emerge on the beach. This broad sandy expanse is popular with people flying
kites, beach loving families, and surfers. Turn left and walk south.
Once past the state park boundary, the beach empties
out a bit, particularly on weekdays once summer is over. Piles of bull kelp are
commonly strewn about with the occasional driftwood timber. There are little slot
canyons worn into the sides of the bluff from water erosion. At 2.71 miles, look
to the left for a primitive ramp ascending back to the bluff. Climb back
to the bluff top, and you'll be steps away from the parking lot.
Total distance: 2.78 miles
Last walked: Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
Bay
to Miramar is a wonderful course for walkers who want to be close to the ocean
without getting sand in their shoes. More than 3 miles end to end, Coastside Trail
offers sweeping seaside views, good bird watching, and easy beach access. Half
Moon Bay State Park provides amenities including a campground and restrooms, but
you can start a walk from more minor trailheads at the end of a few Half Moon
Bay streets. Blufftop Coastal Park features lots of free parking at the southern
terminus of the trail.
At
0.75 mile, the trail enters Half Moon Bay State Beach, and swings east, crossing
the park access road. Keep walking north on the paved trail as it passes the entrance
kiosk and then runs along the campground access road. Once past the developed
area of the park, the paved trail returns to a quieter area, with dunes on the
left dotted with yellow bush lupine, lizardtail, coyote brush, buckwheat, and
sagebrush. At 1.35 miles, you'll reach a junction with a boardwalk on the left,
just before a bridge crossing Pilarcitos Creek. If you'd like to extend the walk,
you can continue north about another 2 miles on the paved trail, which ends at
Miramar Beach. Turn left.
squeezes
through dunes where snowy plovers nest, and guidewires protect their habitat.
Coyote brush is common, and you might also see yellow sand verbena, yellow bush
lupine, lizardtail, wild radish, and mustard. I saw another harrier perched on
a little pile of uprooted plants on the left -- they seem to prefer hunting close
to the ground. At 1.60 mile the path ends at the park's campfire ring. If you
want to return along the bluff, walk south through the campground and pick up
the paved trail again, past the ranger station. Bear right and descend to the
beach.