This week's hike brought me to the beaches of Santa Cruz, and after struggling with the crowds and parking, I headed for the hills. Literally.I've discovered that fitting in a hike a week is rather challenging when there are other trips I would like to do as well. My solution? Make it a two-for weekend!
For this particular weekend get away I headed to the Great America Theme park on Saturday and ended up in Santa Cruz on Sunday in time for a nice hike in their beautiful redwood groves. However, on my next trip I would incorporate the Roaring Camp Railroad and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The train has two track options, one through the red woods, and the other to the beach and back, saving the visitor the stress of parking and allowing just enough time to catch a few rides, a sweet treat or two and a dip in the ocean. I started too late in the day to explore these options further, and the price is a little steep so budget accordingly.
And now on to the hike!
To get there find highway 17. Take Mt Hermon exit northwest towards Scotts Valley. The road will dead end at Fenton, (about 3.5 miles)where you can also find a grocery story for some trail snacks. Take a right onto Graham Hill road and take a quick left onto highway 9 south for about half a mile. The entrance to the park is on the right, and the parking lot is about a half mile in. It is a state park so there is a parking fee, or you can park on the shoulder at the entrance and walk in, which is what I opted to do.
From the entrance (not the parking lot) walk in about 100 feet and take a right onto the first trail. This path is a bit dusty but will get you off the road. Follow this trail (there are many off shoots) and it will spit you out 50 feet to the right of the kiosk. I recommend checking in there for park maps and info. I neglected to do this so selecting trails was, well rather interesting. Continue in the same direction and you'll eventually find a Nature Center and the Redwood Grove Loop Trail which is less than a mile in length. This trail is interpretive and well maintained enough for a wheel chair. Grab a pamphlet and start the loop. Loaner pamphlets are available as are fresh copies for a a quarter or so.
To navigate the trail in numerical order, take the trail entrance to the right, but since it is a loop, both entrances work just fine. Once in the grove you'll get to see California Coastal Redwoods, the tallest living things on earth. The tallest tree in this grove is just under 300 feet tall and a proud specimen 1/3 of the walk in. This trail, and the trees are just amazing, from unique growth habits, to the redwood sorrel covering the ground, and of course the majestic redwoods are so very impressive. The down side of this trail however is that it is dog free.At the back of the loop is the access to a myriad of trails the extend deeper into the park and back toward the entrance and a small river. I chose to continue the Grove Loop, and then return to the small gate, once I had returned my loaner pamphlet.
Before passing through the gate to the additional trails follow the offshoot of the Grove Loop to the Fremont tree. There is a plaque on the trail side that mentions sleeping in the tree. On the backside of this tree you'll be able to see what they mean. From the outside, the tree looks rather normal, large, but other than that, common. Look closer at the burn scar and you'll see it continues deep into the center of the tree. So deep in fact that you can not only enter the scar, but stand up completely inside. On my visit 6 adults exited before I was able to enter. You will need a flashlight, and it is a definite must do, even for the claustrophobic types.
When you are ready to leave the grove, take the trail past the gate at the back of the loop, river trail, and head right parallel to the train tracks. If your visit is times right you'll be able to watch the Roaring Camp Railroad thunder by. Once beyond the main grove you will continue to see redwoods and other beautiful flora, however the trails are a more maze like, especially without a map. The good news is that the park is popular and the trails themselves are easy to follow, it also appears that they all loop back toward the entrance. On this particular hike I headed along what I assumed to be the river trail and followed it along the river back toward the entrance. Once closer to the parking lot I encountered the Meadow trail and Pipeline trail, taking each to continue in the same direction. This combination dumped me back out at the kiosk and in front of the trail I took into the park. (Which I think is the pipeline trail.) As I mentioned before the trail names are a bit confusing, however the paths themselves are easy to navigate as well as travel upon.The Pros: shady, peaceful, educational, easy hike, bathrooms and picnic area.
The Cons: Trail signage is tricky, crowded and no dogs!
The Rating: 1/5 for difficulty, 3/5 for overall pleasantness (due in part to the educational factor).
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