Best Trails in Santa Cruz County
Central Coast Hikes and Nature Walks
This article describes the best parks and trails in Santa Cruz, California.
The city of Santa Cruz is surrounded by spectacular parks, each with a distinct personality. Following are five of the best easy to moderate trails in the area.
Natural Bridges State Beach, Monarch Trail
It isn’t just tourists who like to spend fall and winter in Santa Cruz. Each year, migrating monarch butterflies gather on the eucalyptus trees at Natural Bridges State Beach. Monarch Trail begins with a wheelchair accessible boardwalk and then continues on to the easy trail. The name Natural Bridges refers to the much photographed, bridge-like rock formations just off shore from this beachside park.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Redwood Grove Loop and River Trails
Named after the limestone entrepreneur whose heirs bequeathed most of the park’s land to the State of California, Henry Cowell is home to gorgeous redwood trees, peaceful deer, and funky banana slugs. The easy and accessible Redwood Grove Loop Trail circles through many of the largest redwoods in the park. Just off the Redwood Grove Loop Trail is the River Trail on which visitors can follow the San Lorenzo River as it meanders through the park.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Skyline to the Sea Trail
Another park to see thousands-of-years-old redwoods is Big Basin. These are the same woods where Alfred Hitchcock filmed Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novack in Vertigo back in the 1950s. Fifty years is just a blip in time for these trees, which have seen everything from colonial Spanish explorers to cell phone addicted dot comers.
The Skyline to the Sea Trail is an all day affair. Most people take the path of least resistance, hiking down from the park headquarters to Highway One. On the way, hikers can see forests, grasslands, waterfalls, and (at last) the Pacific Ocean.
Wilder Ranch State Park, Ohlone Bluff Trail
For an incredible, oceanside walk over rocky cliffs and into quiet beach coves, visitors should head straight to Wilder Ranch. The Ohlone Bluff Trail, named after the former indigenous inhabitants of the area, can be picked up near the historic Wilder Ranch buildings. There are plenty of quiet picnic spots along the trail, but visitors need to pay attention to the hour, as some parts of the trail are impassible during high tide.
Pogonip
Following Golf Club Drive up to the old, boarded up clubhouse at Pogonip provides a completely different ocean view. Trails off of the clubhouse offer views of Santa Cruz and the ocean beyond. The park is a favorite with locals. Visitors will likely see many people walking their dogs, getting in their daily jog, or just unwinding.
Details
Natural Bridges State Beach, 1-831-423-4609, 2531 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 1-831-335-7077, 101 North Big Trees Park Road, Felton
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 1-831-338-8860, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek
Wilder Ranch State Park, 1-831-426-0505, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz
Pogonip, 1-831-420-5270, 333 Golf Club Drive, Santa Cruz
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