A Seaside Walk at Wilder Ranch State Park

It was a glorious day for a one-way hike along the coastal bluffs and beaches of Wilder Ranch State Park. To accomplish this walk we assembled at the parking strip along on the coast side of  Highway 1 just east of the road into Wilder Ranch State Park. Highway 1 goes east-west, not north-south along this stretch of the coast. We then carpooled about 3 miles west (north) on Highway 1 to the dirt parking lot for access to 4 Mile Beach. This parking lot is not identified, so you have to know where it is.

From there we walked downhill to the beach and then hiked up to the coastal bluffs. From there we followed the Ohlone Bluff Trail, which contours the coastal cliffs on the marine terrace. This terrace, which was once the sea floor before being uplifted, is now home to vast fields of Brussels sprouts and artichokes, which require cool summers and mild winters.  Along this trail we saw sea otters nestled in the kelp beds. We stopped for lunch at Strawberry Beach, where some of us explored tide pools and examined a brittle star attached to a piece of kelp. Low tide occurred at 2:38 pm.

After lunch we took a use trail down to Sand Plant Beach, and then up the other side and back to the coastal bluff, where we saw at least a hundred harbor seals resting on a rock. Pausing to admire a view, someone saw an osprey roosting on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Otherwise known at "fish eagles",  these powerful predators plunge talons first into the ocean to grab fish. Attached osprey photo by Mamatha Rao.

We then left the trail briefly for a short excursion to the Fern Grotto, a beach cave with ferns growing from the ceiling. Some of our group used flashlights to explore the deep dark interior of the cave. From there we saw many beautiful views as we headed on to the Wilder Ranch historic site near the main parking lot. We saw the old farm house, the horse barn, the workshop, and the Balcoff adobe which was built in 1839 by a Russian ship deserter who married a Mexican lady and fathered

17 children.

TO GET THERE... The main entrance is off Highway 1 about 2 miles west of Santa Cruz and 42 miles south of Half Moon Bay. There is an entrance fee and a large parking lot, though you can park for free on the seaward side of Highway 1 just east of the entrance road.