Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is the first preserve west of Skyline Boulevard as you travel south from CA 92. It's justifiably popular with cyclists and hikers; Purisima is a convenient distance from San Francisco (and the Santa Clara Valley) and is a pristine showcase for the Santa Cruz Mountains' western slope. Tall (most second-growth) redwoods, year round burbling creeks, and chaparral-studded slopes with views to the ocean all can be found here.
     With elevation ranging from around 400 to 2100 feet, and over 3000 acres, there are a few challenging long loop and out-and-back hikes. Whittemore Gulch Trail, North Ridge Trail, a Bay Area Ridge Trail segment, and Harkins Ridge Trail can be combined for a 6.3 mile trek, the shortest of the loops. The longest circuit includes Whittemore Gulch Trail, North Ridge Trail, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail, but then adds Craig Britton Trail and Purisima Creek Trail, a total of around 9 miles. The hardest hike is probably the out-and-back trek to Bald Knob, in the most recently acquired, southwest portion of the preserve. Starting from the Higgins Canyon Trailhead, take Purisima Creek Trail, then climb on the Borden Hatch Mill Trail, and turn onto Bald Knob Trail, which is open to hikers only. If you turn back at the end of the Bald Knob Trail (you can go even further on Irish Ridge Trail), the whole trip is over 9.5 miles long, with a gain in elevation of around 1500 feet. (You can also hike to Bald Knob from a pullout on Tunitas Creek Road. The starting elevation is around 1600 feet, giving you a significant jump start. Unfortunately, there is virtually no parking on Tunitas Creek Road, and the local residents are not very amenable to naughty parking.) The opposite end of the endurance spectrum is the Redwood Trail, which is a short all-access path through the redwoods, located at the southernmost Skyline Boulevard Trailhead.
     Purisima is truly a preserve for all seasons. From late winter into late summer there are a variety of flowering shrubs and deep woods wildflowers. Purisima Creek Trail and the forested section of Soda Gulch Trail are reliably cool when summer temperatures soar, and coastal fog often reaches all the way into the western slopes of the preserve's mountains. Although winter storms soak the fire roads and trails, creating muddy conditions, cool weather encourages long hikes that are tougher in the hot months of the year. In autumn big leaf maples are pretty along Purisima Creek, one of several year-round streams that murmur with the soothing sounds of cool water.
     For the featured hike, start at the Higgins-Purisima Trailhead on the Purisima Creek Trail. After about 200 feet, there's an information signboard, and a few steps further, a pit toilet. Whittemore Gulch Trail and Harkins Ridge Trail start off to the left at a signed junction. Keep going straight on Purisima Creek Trail.
     This wide, multi-use trail is initially almost level, as it follows along the banks of the creek. Redwoods provide shade and habitat for many banana slugs, as well as redwood sorrel, thimbleberry, huckleberry, hazelnut, stream violet, trillium, western burning bush, ferns, starflower, and forget-me-not. Alder, elderberry, and big leaf maple occupy the middle ground, way below the redwoods but above the flowers and shrubs. Purisima Creek Trail stays cool on a hot day, but can be very muddy in the winter and early spring. Perhaps the peak time to hike the trail is mid June to mid July, when the berries ripen on the prolific thimbleberry plants. With so many bushes, it's acceptable to taste a berry or two (of course, large scale collecting, while tempting, is against the rules). The berries, which look a lot like raspberries, are juicy and tart, and may be the most beloved of all the bay area wild edibles. Also look for tiny wood strawberries, which ripen just before the thimbleberries, hiding beneath their distinctive club shaped leaves. At about 1.05 mile, Borden Hatch Mill Trail begins on the right side of the trail at a signed junction. Continue straight on Purisima Creek Trail.
      The grade picks up a bit, but it's still an easy walk. Elk clover and stinging nettles are common in the dampest areas along the trail. After crossing a bridge, you'll reach the junction with Grabtown Gulch Trail, at about 1.42 miles. Continue straight on Purisima Creek Trail.
     The trail crosses over another bridge, and begins to climb with more purpose. Wild rose, blue witch nightshade, and iris brighten the shaded redwood forest in spring, while creambush can be seen in bloom later in summer. Tanoaks make an appearance. There's one more bridge to cross, and then Purisima Creek Trail curves left and climbs steadily to a signed junction at about 2.30 miles. Purisima Creek Trail continues uphill another 1.8 miles, to the smaller Skyline Boulevard trailhead. Turn left onto Craig Britton Trail (formerly Soda Gulch Trail), which is signed as a hiking only trail (but does get bicycle traffic, so beware).
      Narrow Craig Britton Trail winds along canyon walls through a deep redwood forest. This quiet path is a segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Water flows downhill, on the way to join Purisima Creek; the first bridge is a short distance from the junction. Look for clintonia blooming in late spring; in summer the plant's small blue berries are conspicuous. Craig Britton Trail rises to a grassy spot, where views to the south reveal the ridge with the preserve's highest elevation. The vegetation differs dramatically through this stretch, where monkeyflower, lizardtail, scorpionweed, poison oak, ceanothus, coffeeberry, creambush, strawberry, and honeysuckle accompany a few coast live oaks. As you continue to climb through the forest, look for a handful of huge tanoaks, as well as some maple, blue elderberry, and hazelnut. Soon, Craig Britton Trail dips back under the redwoods, crossing Soda Gulch Creek. In August, look for red baneberry and helleborine, a summer orchid. A landslide forced an irregular and steep trail rerouting just past the bridge, and then the grade picks up some more. When you reach the next open and grassy area, look to the west for views all the way to the ocean. On a hike through here one day in June, the trail was overgrown with grass, and California sister butterflies seemed to be present in plague proportions. Cow parsnip, fringecups, rosilla, yarrow, beeplant, and blue-eyed grass may be seen trailside. As Craig Britton Trail climbs uphill through a series of switchbacks, the vegetation shifts to chaparral. Coyote brush, toyon, yerba santa, California coffeeberry, ceanothus, and poison oak are common. The bright blossoms of Indian paintbrush and monkeyflower contrast the army green of the shrubs in spring. A patch of madrones sits off the side of the trail, across from a swath of thimbleberry bushes. Hazelnut is common through here as well. Tanoak, coast live oak, and Douglas fir gain prominence as you edge closer to the end of the trail at about 4.90 miles. From this signed junction, Harkins Ridge Trail climbs to the right (taking the Bay Area Ridge Trail with it), on the way to the preserve's main trailhead. (If you'd like to extend this hike, turn right on Harkins Ridge, turn left onto North Ridge Trail, and then take Whittemore Gulch Trail back to the trailhead. This option adds about 2 miles, and climbs to about 1800 feet before dropping back down to 400 feet.) Turn left onto Harkins Ridge Trail.
     This wide, occasionally rocky multi-use trail signals its intentions right away, as it begins a sharp descent to the west. Douglas fir, redwood, and tanoak provide some shade, but there are numerous opportunities for views to the north (which include parts of North Ridge Trail), and to the west. In the understory you may see huckleberry, creambush, strawberry, columbine, lupines, ceanothus, gooseberry, hazelnut, and pinkflowering currant. There are a few chinquapins and even a handful of manzanita. Stay alert for cyclists descending on the trail; some sections are very steep. Harkins Ridge Trail throws a few short ascents at you, but they are always followed with abrupt drops. After about a mile of rolling downhill, the trail makes a broad sweeping turn to the left and begins a final descent at a moderate grade. Broom, lizardtail, coffeeberry, coyote brush, California sagebrush, and poison hemlock line the trail. Redwoods begin to take over, and the trail enters deep shade. You might see pinkflowering currant, which puts forth bright pink blossoms in winter. At about 6.90 miles, Harkins Ridge Trail runs out of steam and ends at a signed junction with Whittemore Gulch Trail. Turn left, cross one final bridge, and then turn right to return to the trailhead.

Total distance: about 7 miles
Last hiked: Thursday, September 25, 2003

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