Wilder Ranch State Park — Attraction in Santa Cruz

Wilder Ranch State Park is one of my favorite hiking destinations. Even if you’re not into hiking, there’s plenty to do at this popular nature preserve.

There are easy, moderate, and strenuous trails for hikers and mountain bikers alike, both inland and along the coast. I especially enjoy the Ohlone Bluff Trail in the summer when it’s hot inland. Hawks circle overhead, pelicans dive into the chilly water to catch fish, and cormorants sun themselves on rocky outcroppings. There are spectacular picture-perfect ocean vistas of massive cliffs carved by centuries of wave action. Between December and April you might spot migrating grey whales just offshore. I’ve often seen seals lounging on the beaches below as well as sea otters floating nearby. The trails along the bluff are flat but if you’re adventurous you can scramble down to one of several beaches where you can explore a fern grotto (at Marker Post 8) or maybe wade into a tide pool to see the colorful sea anemones at low tide.

All-day parking is $10 per car (or $9 for seniors) and it’s worth it if you want to support this amazing park. There are clean restrooms at the parking lot.

This former ranch and dairy is also a terrific destination for history buffs. You can stroll around the complex of historic buildings, including an 1859 Gothic Revival farmhouse, a red tile-roofed adobe, and the beautifully preserved Queen Anne Victorian home that California pioneer Deloss Wilder built for his family in 1897. There are plenty of picnic tables. Docents are often available for guided tours on weekends. The water-powered machine shop, built in 1896, is fascinating. Kids will enjoy seeing the farm animals up close.

I highly recommend Wilder Ranch State Park. It’s ideal for hiking, biking, families, and especially out-of-town visitors who want a classic Northern California...

This is an enormous park, with a wide variety of trails suitable for hikers, bikers, AND horses. To my knowledge, none of the trails are CURRENTLY restricted to hiker or horses only (in the distant past, certain trails were Hiker Only).

There are fire roads going from the very bottom (South) of the park (at Highway One) all the way to the very North end (Chinquapin Trail at Empire Grade Road), so you can climb as far up as you want and then bomb the single track downhill (although each single track trail has a respectable amount of uphill no matter which direction you travel).

All the fire roads (and about 25% of the single track) are full sun with very limited shade. The majority of the single track is under lush vegetation, mostly in ravines with large Redwoods, Eucalyptus, and verdant ground cover--Including Poison Oak. There are at least 8 stream crossings that I know of--the three on Cowboy Loop are wet/running all year long.

The Enchanted Forest Loop (ridden clockwise) has a 200-yard very technical descent (tree root "staircase") that is borderline Intermediate/Expert, but the ride back out the ravine is both Beginner and majestic (even a Beginner can walk their bike down most of the way down the first 200 yards!).

Eucalyptus Loop and Old Cabin are great single tracks, but Old Cabin is properly steep coming out of the ravine (which features a stream Crossing with the largest Redwoods in the oark). The most flowy single track is Twin Oaks, but 80% of it is out in the wide open grass fields--definitely better to bike downhill, especially since it parallels Wilder Ridge, which is a fire road that is far more...

This is one of my favorite places off Highway 1. It's peaceful! I have gone in groups and I have gone alone. Parking lot is $10 or you can park outside park entrance for free and walk into the park. Weekdays are empty but weekends are busy. Always have layers to be prepared because weather can be unpredictable. No shade, so sun block or a hat is a good idea.

The walk is easy and you can make it as long as you want. I don't do the loop up the mountain because I love being closer to the water. There are multiple places you can sit and enjoy the waves. If you want more of a challenge or work out, do the 9 miles or so loop up the mountain and back down to the beach.

After a good time there, I often head to Davenport for lunch. Then to get some dessert at the Swanton Strawberry Farm for a strawberry shortcake OR cheesecake OR both lol it's a beautiful ride, Take advantage of it.

*Tip: if you have a whole day, take a long drive. What I do: from San Jose, I drive to Pacifica, making stops along the way. Take Highway 1 to santa cruz, making stops along the way. And, from santa cruz, Highway 17 back home.

Restrooms only at 2 parking lots. No restrooms throughout trail. Also, no soap, just water to wash hands. Good practice to have small soap or hand sanitizer. I would definitely stay longer if they had restrooms...