Butano State Park Loop Hike

It is hard to overstate the charm of this cool, green canyon park nestled into a steep coastal canyon. It is one of the most remote parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Yesterday my College of San Mateo class hiked a seven mile loop that took us through the canyon bottom, up to the south ridge top for lunch and views of the next canyon to the south.

We started at the picnic area just beyond the entrance station. Take advantage of the outhouse since it is the last one you will see on this route.  We then walked up the main road, past the campground turnoff  and then took the first trail to the right, which goes to the campground. At the next intersection we turned left on the Goat Hill Trail. We then turned left on the Doe Ridge Trail, which makes a long and steady climb uphill to the Olmo Fire Trail on the ridge. From that intersection we climbed a short distance farther uphill to the east where there is a great lunch spot among a stand of knob cone pines. This spot has the best views on the hike.

After lunch we headed west on the Olmo Fire Road, which has a lot of ups and downs. We took the next right turn onto the Goat Hill Trail, and then a steep downhill  to the main park road.

This park is forested mainly with second-growth redwoods, though there are a few big old-growth trees. We came

across an ensatina salamander and newt along the way. We saw lots of wild flowers, including thimbleberries, solomons seal, trillium, redwood sorrel, clintonia, wild rose, hounds tongue, bush poppies, ceanothus, red elderberry bushes, redwood violets, and Douglas iris.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 1 take Pescadero Road east for about 3 miles and turn right on Cloverdale Road. The park entrance is about 5 miles from Pescadero.