Beautiful trails with different abilities/stuff to see. I went down to the Garden of Eden because I…read morelove water features. Shady trails with lots of redwoods and water.

Amazing 0.8 mile reasonably level trail through a dense grove of majestic redwood giants. There was…read morealmost no one in the parking lot when I arrived at 9am on a Wednesday but the parking lot was full by noon when I left. There is a California state park gift shop that opens at 10am. Parking is $10 ($9 for seniors over 62). There is also a walkway from the parking lot to the Roaring Camp train station next to the state park.

What a delightful State Park with medium and short trails that are coastal. We went at the end of…read morethe day, so we couldn't hike very far-- thus, we plan on returning another day when we could arrive earlier with the right gear (snacks, water, sunscreen, hat, camera, etc) because there is SO MUCH to see here! The trails aren't super long to get to cool sites, like seal pups and fern caves, and you get to gaze at beautiful wildflowers and bushes along the way, like giant calla lilies and blackberries. There were also many frogs croaking and birds singing while we were hiking, which created such unexpected symphonies. It also wasn't very crowded. We saw a few groups of casual hikers and a few joggers. There was some construction in areas close to the parking lot that was unsightly and a parking fee, but other than that, everything was just lovely. I can't wait to return to Wilder Ranch for a deeper exploration! [TIP: If you're a serious hiker who's looking for an all day trip, this isn't the location for you. Wilder Ranch is on the easy to medium hike level with trails that are fairly short, like 2.5 miles for one of the popular beach loops. You can, of course, make it a longer hike but exploring multiple trails or crossing the freeway to the other trails, but it is not the kind of location you can get lost. It's perfect for families and people who have a couple hours to spare.]

Went out for a hike on the trails at the beginning of July. The trails are very open and exposed,…read moreand not very well marked to start. We hiked the Wilder Ridge trail loop and hiked up the wider side of the trail and came down on the north side which is a single track that passes right next to a landfill dump. I recommend the wide trail, but not the single track. There were alot of ticks on the trail, we assume that they got picked up on the single track we took to return on. Make sure to check for ticks if you hike out there.

I spent a Saturday afternoon hiking at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, getting lost in the forest…read moreamong the massive towering trees, and running along the dirt-covered train tracks. Don't worry, I wasn't being chased by a train, I purposely came there to run (note, there are "no trespassing" signs, so you venture along the train tracks at your own risk). Following the tracks, you'll see below, parallel to it, the river that turns into the Garden of Eden lagoon. Peaceful, isolated, with no other visitors in sight while I was there this past weekend, the whole area was pristine and picturesque (no pesky college kids or trash laying around as other reviewers have described... but maybe that's cuz it's October). Just a flowing river forming tiny waterfalls over the giant rocks in the water. A hidden oasis and sandy shore in the middle of the forest! There's a bit of climbing needed to get to and from the swimming hole, but it's not too steep and totally worth the trek. The best place to park is Henry Cowell "Ox Parking Lot" off Highway 9 (it looks like a turnout area along the highway and can easily be missed). Don't google map "Garden of Eden", it will lead to the middle of the forest, and there is no vehicle access. The Garden of Eden is gorgeous, and feels like stepping inside a Thomas Kinkade painting. Will definitely be back.

I used to come here 50 yrs when it wasn't many people there, only locals and you could really relax…read moreand breathe in the tree air. It's a gravelly walk so DO NOT BRING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 6 at least. It's not Disneyland! Even the JrHigh to Highschoolers were acting overly careless. I went there the other day and it was a moronic madhouse. You used to go there to be in lovely nature and the smell of the trees. Now It was overrun with kids from god knows where with aftershave and perfume on. I think a bunch of university students and tourists saw it now on social media unfortunately. Some were spraying awful smelling spray on sunscreen, many acting as if they were at a waterpark as if the rocks were really made of rubber. Reports of accidents, weeding out stupid but maybe someone was an innocent bystander accidentally pushed by stupid. It was NOT FOR KIDS! Selfish entitled parents bringing their children tired, whiney and crying! (Don't make excuses) ruining for everyone else. There was even a stroller parked nearby. No bathrooms for kids or anyone else so that can't be good for the environment. you need to be somewhat fit ! I've seen so many lovely places closed to the public because it got ruined by the public. So help make it nice again, don't wear anything perfumey, wear unscented deodorant only. NO SUNSCREEN. wear a hat and tshirt. Don't bring kids unless they are older and well behaved. Thank you and you will thank yourselves.

The free parking and public restrooms across the street from this cliff-lined beach made for easy…read moreaccess to beautiful vistas, especially for walking along Cliff Drive above the surf. There were places to access the sandy beach, as well.

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Beautiful trail in the Santa Cruz mountains to experience true natural beauty of walking among…read moreredwoods. Compared to Muir Woods it's not a very doctrinated environment with boardwalks etc, lot of redwoods are fallen over the river which are supposed to enhance the ecology. The lime kiln hike is good for beginners. Good place to bring kids and pets - saw some kids look very happy that they were crossing mini bridges over running water here and there. The ending point of the trail is at the historic Lime Kilns and it's very interesting and hard to imagine that there was a full lime making facility during the Gold Rush there, plus an ecosystem of burning redwood to power kilns for melting lime rock, and a rail road to transport the lime away

This is large open space in the hills of Santa Cruz near the UC. It is not really a public park in…read moreterms of there aren't a whole lot of public benches, picnic tables, garbage receptacles, playgrounds etc... What it does have are numerous trails, most if not all are unpaved that weave into this raw open space. Some parts of the hills are open grass lands thus no shade. Some trails go into a forested area where lots of trees are some being smaller redwoods, thus lots of shade there. I picked a route/loop that was about 4 miles that had a little incline and mostly through the forested area. It was mostly on the Spring Trail. There's an old Limestone Kiln on this trail that used to extract limestone from rocks, which was then used for mortar and plaster to help build California in the 1900s. So a little piece of history here. Not crowded at all (which I love) during a Monday afternoon. More joggers than hikers for some reason, no bikers that I saw and lots of leashed dogs strolling with their owners. Santa Cruz is a very dog friendly town. I'm assuming most if not all users here are from the surrounding neighborhoods/university. I ran into lots of colorful plant life along with the birds those tow, small lizards basking in the sun and even a 3 foot snake right on the trail. Startled me at first as it is well camouflaged on the dirt and shade from the trees. I could tell by the shape of the head that it wasn't a rattle snake, so I just carefully stepped around it as not startle it. Unlike many people I don't freak out on these occurrences, so this was more exciting to me than worrisome. But glad I found this open space as I often like to exercise/hike while I'm visiting an area and now I can pair this with some beach relaxation afterwards. Santa Cruz score!

Went for a run in the area and enjoyed exploring this beautiful park and lagoon, full of trees,…read morevegetation, and ducks galore. Stretching through the park, a dirt trail attaches to a boardwalk floating over the water, with a few benches for seating and info boards along the way about the surrounding animal and plant life and ecotones (connecting habitats). There's also a sand-filled playground, tennis courts, pollinator garden, water treatment center, and restroom on site, as well as a very small parking lot (fits about 6 vehicles). The serene environment and calming views overlooking the water from the bridges and walking paths are simply amazing.

This was such a nice little walk, beautiful scenery and I was lucky enough to see the goats,…read moreapparently they bring them here once a year to help clean the landscape. There is a cute little playground and lots of ducks to look at, the baby ducks were so cute swimming behind the moma. Definitely recommend this place to clear your mind and get a little me time.

Caitlin was the nicest tour guide. She had us walking through nature and explained a lot about…read moremushroom hunting, and made the experience magic.

We went on the short hike adventure. This hike is perfect for someone who is a beginner who hasn't…read morethought about foraging in a forest before. We all learned something new. The guide was very nice and informative. Meeting at one location, then meeting at another 5 minutes away seemed like a time filler. I would recommend just giving a meeting location and starting on time at the location. People should be able to handle going pee and getting coffee on their own before a hike. Seriously, I would consider dropping that part of the tour. For the price I would have hoped for a location that was a little more remote or wooded. We walked 0.5 miles and could see the parking lot the whole time. A great addition would be to make a little helpful hints guide for all of the participants so they can look back and remember the tips. That would make the price seem more worth it.

What a gem! Beautiful park with biking and hiking trails, disc golf and golf courses, ball field,…read moreplayground and picnic areas. We came for a UCSC mountain bike race and got to watch some amazing athletes compete from up and down the state. Dogs on leash are allowed on trails. Parking is free.

Parking at the Enchanted Trail Trailhead parking area, I made my way up into De Laveaga Park for a…read morewalk through the Redwoods. I didn't have the chance to make it up to Henry Cowell State Park, but this location seemed a compromise since I was making my way to the Mystery Spot. I meandered through the trails just east of Branciforte Drive. The trails are well groomed, easy to hike with younger children and pets, and it was such a pleasant quiet morning for me. The trees were so tall and impressive, and I enjoyed being out in nature but close to civilization at the same time. If I had more time in the area, I would have spent more time here. I think it is a great location for locals to get out and enjoy nature!