More Cowell Bell!

Hike or Bike Cowell-Purisma Trail near Half Moon Bay

05.17.2018

Crashing waves, salty air, greenery, and enormous coastal views: Biking or hiking the 6.6-miles of the Cowell-Purisima bluffs will leave you feeling spring fresh! Just a few miles south of Half Moon Bay, the Cowell-Purisma Trail stretches for 3 sea-breezy miles along high coastal bluffs. You can thank the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and State Coastal Conservancy for securing this open space.

The wide gravel-and-dirt trail gently rolls along the edge of the continent: To the east is farmland and to the west is a 100-foot cliff dropping off to uninterrupted views of the roiling Pacific.

The trail is mostly flat, with only one real up-and-down at Purisima Creek as you near Purisma Farms. The trail ends at Cowell Ranch State Beach—a fantastic crescent hike-in (or bike-in) haven. It’s the only place on the trail where you’ll get beach access, via a wooden staircase. Enjoy this respite tucked away from the rest of the world by hulking cliffs. Cowellbunga!

The trail is only open on weekends and holidays due to limited public funding, and parking is free, so the lot fills quickly (there’s street parking northbound on Hwy. 1). Drive south on Hwy. 1 passing the turn-off for the Ritz Carlton. In less than a mile you’ll see the parking area for Cowell Ranch State Beach. We recommend continuing south on Hwy. 1 for 3 miles and starting at the southern parking area. Park, and then ride the trail for 3.5 miles to Cowell Ranch Beach. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

    View

  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

    View

  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

    View
  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

    View

  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

    View
  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

    View