North
Ridge Trail,
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve,
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District,
San Mateo County
In brief:
3.6 mile out and back through woods to an open ridge.
Getting there:
From Interstate 280 in San Mateo County, exit CA 92 west. Drive to the junction
with CA 35 (Skyline Boulevard), and turn south. Drive about 4.25 miles, to the
signed parking lot on the right side of the road.
Trailhead details:
Large parking lot. No entrance or parking fees. Maps available at the information
signboard. Wheelchair-accessible pit toilet on site. Pay phone just north of the
trailhead (at the closed store). There is no direct public transportation to this
preserve.
Gas, food, and lodging:
None in the immediate area. No camping.
Rules:
Most trails are multi-use. A few trails are open to hikers only. Dogs are not
permitted in the preserve.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.6 mile out and back hike is easy. Trailhead elevation is about 2100
feet. The featured hike descends to about 1200 feet before regaining lost elevation
on the way back to the trailhead.
The Official Story:
MROSD's
Purisima page.
MROSD field office 650-691-1200
Map Choices:
• Map
from MROSD (download pdf)
• 
Peninsula Tales
and Trails, by David Weintraub (order
this book from Amazon.com) has an overview of the preserve, descriptions of
hikes, and simple maps.
• Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a great map and descriptions of a Purisima
Creek hike.
• Peninsula Trails, by Rusmore, Spangle, and Crowder, has a simple
map and trail descriptions (order
this book from Amazon.com).
• Tom Taber's The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Book has a simple map,
and preserve descriptions (order
this book from Amazon.com).
• View photos from this hike.
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve's main trailhead
on Skyline Boulevard
offers the quickest and easiest starting point for me, but I realized recently
that I visit this northernmost staging area less frequently than the others. What
kept me from beginning there was the steep initial portion of North Ridge Trail,
which makes for a heart pounding return to the trailhead after a long loop hike.
Then on my last visit I discovered the hiking only path than runs along North
Ridge Trail. It's slightly longer, but gently graded. This path, part of the Bay
Area Ridge Trail segment through Purisima, makes a big difference if you dislike
steep climbs.
Once past the initial drop from the trailhead, there
are a few choices for loop and out-and-back hikes. Harkins Ridge and Whittemore
Gulch make a good 7 mile circuit, but unless you're a glutton for steep ascents,
descend on Harkins Ridge and ascend on Whittemore Gulch. You can also hike 5.6
miles on out-and-back North Ridge Trail. With no connecting trails, the last stretch
of North Ridge can be pretty lonely. It's also quite a climb (about 1000 feet)
back up to the trailhead from the turn around point at the end of the trail. The
featured hike I describe on this
page is somewhat of a compromise. It traverses the pretty forested and chaparral
slopes of the preserve, allows you to take in the stunning views south, west,
and north, but turns back before the last stretch of North Ridge Trail. It's a
nice hike to take for a picnic on a sunny day.
Begin at the north trailhead and start downhill
on the North Ridge Trail. A cluster of big leaf maples shed their pretty leaves
in autumn a few feet down the wide multi-use trail. Just past them, the trail
splits at a signed junction. Bear right on the hiking-only path. The trail
squeezes past tall Douglas firs. Ferns flourish in the damp woods, and look for
large clumps of mushrooms in autumn and winter. Switchbacks keep the descent easy.
You may see pink-flowering currant, thimbleberry, huckleberry, honeysuckle, madrone,
and tanoak. Through
some breaks in the trees, on a clear day the view stretches north all the way
to Mount Tamalpais. At about 0.5 mile, the hiking-only path ends at a signed junction
with North Ridge Trail. Turn right onto North Ridge Trail.
The wide trail, open to equestrians and cyclists
as well as hikers, keeps a fairly level course as it meanders under huge old Douglas
firs and tanoaks. Just before the next junction, there's a grassy spot off the
trail to the left that makes a fine rest or picnic area. A few steps more and
you reach a signed junction at about 1 mile. While North Ridge Trail continues
to the right, Whittemore Gulch Trail is an easier grade. Stay to the left on
Whittemore Gulch Trail (seasonally closed to all but hikers in the rainy months).
Soon the trail begins to leave the woods. Whittemore
Gulch Trail switchbacks gently downhill through monkeyflower, coyote brush, and
coffeeberry, ducks under a few last Douglas firs, and emerges into chaparral.
In December on this trail I saw a 
few
forget-me-nots in bloom, way before anything else in the bay area was even thinking
of spring. The shrubby plants of the chaparral community (ceanothus, blue witch
nightshade, coyote brush, California coffeeberry, and monkeyflower) permit long
views west and south. You may be able to pick out Harkins Ridge Trail to the south,
and North Ridge Trail to the west. Look north for glimpses of Montara Mountain.
The grassy knoll visible downhill to the right off the flat stretch of North Ridge
Trail is the picnic area and turnaround point of this hike. Whittemore Gulch Trail
winds downhill at an easy grade. At about 1.6 miles, you reach a signed junction.
Turn right to take the short connector path to North Ridge Trail.
After just a few steps, the path ends at a signed
junction with North Ridge Trail. Turn left. The wide multi-use trail descends
through chaparral. Look for a grassy knoll off the trail to the right. This is
a great picnic or rest area, and the turn around point for the hike. It's a quiet
spot with tremendous views to the ocean. You can extend your walk on the North
Ridge Trail, but as you walk a bit further you'll notice that just past the grassy
spot, the trail dips and then climbs somewhat steeply. When you're ready, retrace
your steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: about 3.6 miles
Last hiked: Tuesday, December 12, 2000
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
offers the quickest and easiest starting point for me, but I realized recently
that I visit this northernmost staging area less frequently than the others. What
kept me from beginning there was the steep initial portion of North Ridge Trail,
which makes for a heart pounding return to the trailhead after a long loop hike.
Then on my last visit I discovered the hiking only path than runs along North
Ridge Trail. It's slightly longer, but gently graded. This path, part of the Bay
Area Ridge Trail segment through Purisima, makes a big difference if you dislike
steep climbs. 
page is somewhat of a compromise. It traverses the pretty forested and chaparral
slopes of the preserve, allows you to take in the stunning views south, west,
and north, but turns back before the last stretch of North Ridge Trail. It's a
nice hike to take for a picnic on a sunny day.
some breaks in the trees, on a clear day the view stretches north all the way
to Mount Tamalpais. At about 0.5 mile, the hiking-only path ends at a signed junction
with North Ridge Trail. Turn right onto North Ridge Trail. 
few
forget-me-nots in bloom, way before anything else in the bay area was even thinking
of spring. The shrubby plants of the chaparral community (ceanothus, blue witch
nightshade, coyote brush, California coffeeberry, and monkeyflower) permit long
views west and south. You may be able to pick out Harkins Ridge Trail to the south,
and North Ridge Trail to the west. Look north for glimpses of Montara Mountain.
The grassy knoll visible downhill to the right off the flat stretch of North Ridge
Trail is the picnic area and turnaround point of this hike. Whittemore Gulch Trail
winds downhill at an easy grade. At about 1.6 miles, you reach a signed junction.
Turn right to take the short connector path to North Ridge Trail.