CALIFORNIA
Pillar Point Bluff
I recently discovered an AWESOME blog called Trees and Tents and I got the recommendation for Pillar Point Bluff from there. Once again this is not technically a state park but I am still counting it, especially considering COVID and the fires! This puts me at 13 “state” parks in 2020. 7 left with uhhh 3 months to go!
Since I’m side tracked, I was also thinking I should probably put a rating and difficulty section for hikes, to make finding the hike that’s right for you easier!
On to the hike. I left early (for me) and the route to Half Moon Bay at 8:30 AM was foggy and cold! Visibility was pretty low and my helmet got mist on it. But it was nice because the morning section of the hike was overcast and cool. This weekend was supposed to have another heat wave, which was on my mind when reflecting on Butano State Park.
The parking lot is pretty easy to miss, I rode ride past it. It’s right by an industrial building with what looked like an auto shop. The bathrooms are closed right now but the trail head is easy to find. We thought this trail was a loop but according to Trees and Tents you must go right to follow the bluff trail.
I was nervous with the fog we’d get no view of the ocean. The first stretch of the hike is bluffs along the ocean where I got some decent pictures of the water, and the hillsides.
As we kept walking we got to where you can see the airforce installation. To the right of this photo, we saw quite a few surfers! The waves looked pretty big and scary to me, plus I bet it’s very cold.
We crossed the road by the airforce installation and you get an amazing view of Half Moon Bay. There were tons of sailboats, people on the beach with dogs and kids, people kayaking and standup paddle boarding. We stood overlooking the bay for a while, just watching people enjoying the day!
I also got my first mask shaped sunburn on this trail. Make sure when you go hiking to bring a mask for when you come near other groups. Also of course wear sunscreen, hats and long sleeves when applicable.
Overall I’d say this is less of a hike and more of a stroll but the views and nice and I think the trail still clocks in a 2+ miles. There weren’t too many people out on Saturday morning, but we did see a few dogs on leashes. I would recommend it!