You haven’t fully experienced Santa Cruz County until you’ve hiked through a redwood forest still dripping from a hard rain. The canyons are filled with the sound of rushing water. Wrens flit between the lichen-draped brush of the understory, and the silvery warble of a Swainson’s thrush filters down from the latticework of branches spiraling
The secret’s out! Winter is the BEST time to visit Santa Cruz for some great wildlife watching! And one of our winter must-sees – the elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park! Año Nuevo State Park is the site for one of the largest mainland breeding colonies in the world for the northern elephant seal, and lucky for us,
For the second summer in a row, California State Parks is offering Naturalist-Led Backpacking Adventures through the Santa Cruz Mountains! Whether you’re new to backpacking or a seasoned nomad, there’s an adventure waiting for you! This year there will be five excursions throughout June to September with trips varying in length from one to three nights. These adventures will trek through Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Castle Rock State Park, Butano State Park, and Portola Redwoods State Park.
California King Tides are coming to Santa Cruz! January 20 & 21, the impressive tides will hit the shores of Santa Cruz County! These naturally occurring and predictable events are when the highest tides occur. But that’s not all, during King Tides we also experience some of the lowest, most dramatic negative tides. These extreme low tides pose prime conditions
Many state parks in Santa Cruz County feature unbroken trails which begin in redwood-covered mountains and end on the rugged, windswept beaches of the Pacific Coast. The vast preserves of open spaces in Santa Cruz County are a tribute to conservation efforts that began over a century ago. Today, Santa Cruz County has an extraordinary number of state parks – 14 in all – and each offers a unique experience for visitors.