14Aug-Photo Release – This was the first road trip of the year. It just came out the PCH queue last. This was the first of the seashore visits I made with a specific destination in mind. I joined a conservation group – POST – Peninsula Open Space Trust that buys up or accepts donations of land in the Bay Area with the explicit mission of keeping it open and protecting any local species within. So far I haven’t been disappointed in what they’ve done. How they pay for it is another thing altogether. Individual donations like our membership doesn’t cover a spit in the bucket of their expenses, so they solicit help far and wide and don’t seem to care much where it comes from, so long as it comes. That doesn’t sit well with me so we are no longer members. It’s not like they’ll go under without my few hundred dollars a year.
Right out of the parking lot I ran into a Kite. I didn’t come for wildlife but I never say no. Right after that I came upon two different Red Tails, a Great Blue Heron, a feisty Crow, a Gull in flight, some Sandpipers on the beach along with some humans and a Lab. The coast is beautiful here as it is everywhere. The overcast sky made for some drama – anything is better than solid grey or blue with a taste of insane sun.
14Aug-Photo Release
Wavecrest Open Space – January 12, 2021
Wavecrest Beach
14Aug-Photo Release
🥾 Hiking areaWavecrest Beach Click to open side panel for more information
(commonly referred to as Wavecrest Open Space) is a preserved coastal expanse situated along the bluffs in Half Moon Bay, California. Managed primarily by the Coastside Land Trust alongside the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), the property spans over 200 acres of grasslands, coastal scrub, wetlands, and Monterey cypress windbreaks atop bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Wildlife & Birding
- Raptor Capital: Wavecrest is recognized as the single most important habitat site on the San Mateo County coast for wintering raptors. The broad fields and dense rodent populations support high numbers of hunting birds of prey, including White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Merlin.
- Coastal & Seabirds: The bluff-top perspective provides vantage points to observe pelicans, cormorants, gulls, and shorebirds along the surf line, as well as passing gray whales during migration seasons.
Trails & Accessibility
- The Bird Trail: A popular 0.3-mile section of the California Coastal Trail running along the northern edge of the open space, offering easy access and sweeping ocean vistas.
- Trail Extensions: The trail system provides roughly 1.5 to 2.5 miles of flat, unpaved walking and biking paths, connecting northern points near Poplar Beach down toward Redondo Beach Road.
- Terrain: The area features mostly level, exposed dirt paths, cypress groves, and scenic bluff edges, making it a low-impact destination for walking, light trail running, and photography.
Visitor Logistics
- Access Points: Main public access is located at the foot of Wavecrest Road (off Highway 1 near Cameron’s Pub) near local youth ball fields, or by walking south along the coastal trail from Poplar Beach over the Seymour Bridge.
- Pet Policy: Dogs are permitted on-leash throughout the preserve.
- Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
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