Located a mere 30 minutes from Inn at Mavericks is Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve. This 4,711 open space preserve is part of MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District and is home to the Purisima Creek Canyon, Purisima Creek, towering Coastal Redwoods, beautiful ferns and wildflowers and incredible views overlooking Half Moon Bay.
Two of the most popular trails of the preserve are the Redwood Trail and the Purisma Creek Trail. The redwood trail is an easy hike for people of all ages and winds 1/4 of a mile through the Coast Redwoods near Skyline Boulevard (the park’s main entrance). The Purisima Creek Trail is slightly more challenging and follows an old logging road located on the western side of the preserve and crosses over picturesque Purisima Creek. The entrance to Purisima Creek Trial can be found 3.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Purisima Creek Road which intersects Highway 1.
The Coast Redwoods are one of the most spectacular features of the preserve and are estimated to be about 100 years old, making up the “second growth” forest. The original redwoods that were logged in the late 1800s and early 1900s and were estimated to be about 1,000 years old. Visitors to the preserve can still see evidence of these giant trees from their 10-20 feet wide stumps along the Purisma Creek Trail.