End summer with a hike

Add a little exercise to the next outing by visiting the county’s latest acquisition — the 140-acre Pillar Point Bluff near Moss Beach. Interestingly, it’s not a new parcel of land which people can explore. In fact, those familiar with the area may not notice a difference. Those who haven’t taken the drive up Highway 1 may find an untapped jewel in the property formerly overseen by the Peninsula Open Space Trust.

With multiple trail heads, the hike can begin on pretty even land or a bit of an uphill hike. The uphill option — which is where you would start if using the directions at the end of this story — isn’t too strenuous.

Dirt trails combine over the parcel to give you numerous options for a leisurely hike with friends — two-legged or furry four-legged ones. One could walk on a rather large loop or take a detour on the Jean Lauer Trail, which intersects the loop going north to south.

Wearing comfy shoes, the trail could take you to enjoy views of the nearby Half Moon Bay airport. Or, to the west, take in the view of calm Pacific Ocean waters with playful seals swimming about. When the water is very calm, a person can look down and see the water mammals playing underwater. Seagulls soaring by, the peaceful hike is the perfect place to take a few minutes and appreciate nature. Thankfully, there are even a couple of benches for those who may want to take extra time to take in the scenery.

Plenty of plant life in a variety of colors surrounds the dirt trail. Much of the area is being restored and signs remind those on the trails to respect the effort. Even from the trail the beauty of greens and pinks grouping together before a seemingly endless sea is easy to appreciate.

Below the beach is empty and few others tackled the trail on a recent weekend. Making this quick trip to the coast a lovely, mellow trip without ever leaving San Mateo County.

The parcel purchase, which was finalized Aug. 9, was made possibly by a $3 million grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board. The scenic bluff top, home to a section of the California Coastal Trail and a popular spot with hikers, is a natural extension of the reserve, whose habitat-rich shoreline at the foot of the bluff is a haven for a vast array of birds and sea creatures, according to POST.

POST purchased the bulk of Pillar Point Bluff in 2004 and additional parcels in 2007 and 2008. Since then, POST volunteers and vendors have carried out extensive stewardship projects on the land, including removing invasive Pampas grass, rerouting hiking paths away from eroding slopes and reseeding worn patches of bluff top with native plants. POST also removed the crumbling foundation of a former dairy barn and restored abandoned irrigation ponds used by seasonal birds and resident wildlife, according to POST.