Santa Cruz Mountains Trails

Rising just south of San Francisco, through San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and western Santa Clara Counties, the Santa Cruz Mountains offer amazing scenery and outdoor recreation opportunies; all within an easy drive from Bay Area cities.

Consisting of northwest-tending ridges, the Santa Cruz Mountains are part of the California Coast Range. They are about halfway between Oregon and Mexico and are a microcosm of this range. On the cool, foggy, rainy coast side are lush redwood forests that will remind you of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties way to the north. On the inland side, where the climate is warmer and drier, you will find oak woodlands and chaparral, reminiscent of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to the south.

I have been exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains since the 1950's, when there were only a few public parks. Most of my childhood wanderings took me through private property. Back in those days there were few trails, none of which connected one park to another; and there were only two kinds of trail users: those who rode horses and those who walked. I walked.

I have always liked to walk. Walking moves at a pace that allows the details of the world to be seen. Pedestrians don't have to get off of anything in order to bend down close to the ground to examine a flower, or a rock, or a salamander. I have found that the more you know about the native plants, animals, and geology, the more you will enjoy traveling at a slower pace. I also like the sociability of walking. It's perfectly suited for long and stimulating conversations.

Today there are hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are parks and preserves owned by the federal government, the state, counties, cities, special districts, and private institutions. There are more than one thousand miles of trails to enjoy for hikers, equestrians, bicyclists, and runners. This blog is for the benefit of everyone who wants to explore the trails of the Santa Cruz Mountains.