See the Yellow Wildflowers of the San Mateo Coast

If you’re in California in the spring, you’re just in time to see some beautiful flowers that adorn the golden state during the season. It’s a great time to go see Golden Poppies, Cherry Blossoms, Almond Blossoms and all. Then there are all kinds of bright wildflowers that cover hillsides and even the plains. If you are in northern California, you might want to go see the slopes of the yellow wildflowers of the San Mateo Coast.

Where to see yellow wildflowers in California

Today, let me take you on a hike through Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail to show you vast stretches of yellow flowers. The floral blanket here comprises mostly Bermuda Buttercups but it looks like there might be some common mustard flowers, maybe even some yellow lupines. However, it is wonderful to see a coming together of yellow flowers in celebration of spring here on the San Mateo Coast.

Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail – A walk amidst the wildflowers

This trail in the southern part of the city of Half Moon Bay runs 3.3 miles along the coast, and also crosses the Purisima Creek as it empties itself into the Pacific. It comes with views of the craggy coastline, the Pacific Ocean and the green grassy slopes of the coastal mountains.

In the spring months, you can be sure to see a yellow covering of wildflowers take over these hillsides making it quite a visual delight. You can walk a part of the trail or all of it, to take in these sights.

 You can access this out-and-back trail at two points: The Cowell Beach Parking lot in the north and the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trailhead further south, both, on CASR 1 or Highway 1.

The Cowell-Purisima Trail gets its name from Cowell Ranch, a historical ranch in the area and the Purisima Village that developed beside the Purisima Creek. I found a little history of the area posted beside the parking lot at the north end of the trail (near Cowell Beach):

1852 – 1890 Purisima
Purisima was a thriving village on the banks of Purisima Creek at a stagecoach stop just three miles south of this site. The town boasted an impressive school building, hotel, post office, general store, blacksmith shop, the first coast side lumber mill and the 17-room Doebbel mansion.

In 1852 Henry Doebbel, then a 16-year-old immigrant from Germany arrived in San Francisco and opened the first waffle restaurant. His earnings helped establish a prosperous farm near Purisima. His new two-story mansion featured a ballroom, running water and an invention — a gaslight produced from manure.

Financial failures caused Doebbel to mortgage his farm to Henry Cowell who foreclosed in 1890.
The town gradually declines and in 1930, the last remnants of the mansion were torn down. Only a group of cypress trees and a small cemetery indicate the site.

You might also like:
The Wildflowers of Big Sur
Wildflower season on Mt. Tamalpais
More:
Floral Destinations on Tipsy from the TRIP

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Pictorial Tuesday
My Corner of the World

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