Up the road, continue past the historic Johnston House, past creekside steelhead spawning grounds and on through pastoral hills and grassland where cattle graze. After driving through a hillside flanked by a small corridor of unprotected land, you reach the Burleigh-Murray State Park where you will find parking available and access to a horse, biker and hiker trailhead. Just over the hill to the northeast lie the ruggedly beautiful Mills Creek Canyon, also acquired in the last campaign, and 563-acre Madonna Creek Ranch, donated to POST by Mrs. Mortimer Levitt, which join with Miramontes Ridge to form the northern boundary of the park. Driving further southeast on Higgins-Purisima, you leave the Pilarcitos Creek watershed and loop back alongside the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, a public preserve owned by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. If you're in the mood for a hike or walk, this is the place to do it.
Maps are available at the small parking lot.
Up ahead are Purisima Farms, another POST property, and the Pacific Ocean. The rich farmland continues across Highway 1 to the ocean, offering majestic views up and down the coast, as well as public access for recreational activities. Turning north onto Highway 1, end your tour with a visit to Cowell State Beach. A half-mile trail takes you from the parking lot to the edge of the bluffs with interpretive signs guiding you along the way. With the crashing waves and sandy beach below, breathtaking views of cliffs stretching to the north and south, and rich farmland and coastal hills behind, it's easy to take some pride in what POST has accomplished with your support.