San Vicente Redwoods Debuts in Fall 2022

An initial eight miles of trails at San Vicente Redwoods is set to open. This first phase of trails are part of what will become an overall 38-mile multi-use equestrian-friendly trail system and another destination asset that is sure to draw visitors to the region for hiking, mountain biking, and interpretive programs.

Trail construction will continue over the next three to five years and may include connections to other trail systems in the area, including those being established this year at the adjacent Cotoni-Coast Dairies unit of the California Coastal National Monument.

The 8,852-acre San Vicente Redwoods area is a model of environmental conservation, including the restoration of the property’s 912-acre preservation reserve containing some old-growth redwoods; 3,951 acres of the previously logged forest; eight creeks; and a 320-acre former ranch that is home to redwoods, grasslands and oak woodlands. The entire property includes critical habitat for many regionally significant species of wildlife, including endangered Coho salmon, marbled murrelet, pumas, and peregrine falcons. In addition, portions of the land include stands of the threatened Anderson’s manzanita.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Sempervirens Fund, Save the Redwoods League, and the Peninsula Open Space Trust are working closely with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, formed in 2013 as a vehicle for tribal members to return as stewards to their land. In collaborating with these two entities, the organization’s goal is to inform current plans with the cultural practices and deep knowledge shared by the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for millennia.