easy
Activities
Wavecrest Trail Information
Enjoy this birding hotspot, terrific views of the coastline and migrating whales (if you're lucky).
Watch for:
When you visit Wavecrest Open Space, look out for whales, harbor seals, pelicans, and hawks.
Hiking Details for Wavecrest
Distance: 1.5 miles
Elevation change: Flat
Hiking time: Less than an hour
Trail surface: Packed dirt, mostly exposed
Best Season: Year round
Managing agency: Coastside Land Trust
Parking lot location: Click here for directions
Overview:From the trailhead at Smith Field, hikers can access a 1.5-mile (roundtrip) section of the California Coastal Trail that winds through Wavecrest and offers scenic views of the coast. Please follow the designated gravel Coastal Trail route and stay on public trails.
Look east and you’ll see the saltbox geometry of Johnston House, surrounded by POST-protected agricultural and open space. Behind the house, wooded hills rise to the crest at Skyline Boulevard, and it is easy to imagine a trail that might someday connect the ridge with the sea.
After exploring the property, you can relax on the quiet beach. This spot is a great place for bird watching. Dogs are welcome on-leash Wavecrest. Please pick up after your pets and respect other visitors.
Wavecrest Trail Photo Gallery
More About the Wavecrest Property
In January 2008, POST entered into a three-year option to purchase and protect 206-acre Wavecrest, an extraordinary natural, recreational, and scenic resource for Half Moon Bay and the entire coastside.
There are many reasons why POST saved Wavecrest, including to safeguard the region’s most important raptor wintering grounds and protect sweeping ocean views and coastal landscape. POST also had a vision to preserve Half Moon Bay’s last undeveloped land bridge from Highway 1 to the sea, as well as create a California Coastal Trail segment and connections to other protected lands. Coastside Land Trust have contributed to our shared vision by creating the California Coastal Trail segments and the public access connections at Wavecrest.
The purchase of Wavecrest exemplifies what POST does best—moving quickly to save land when the opportunity arises and working with willing sellers in the interest of the public good.
Today, building on their years of conservation work at Wavecrest, Coastside Land Trust is leading efforts to improve public access, restore habitat, and create safer, more sustainable ways for people to experience the coast.
