This checked all my boxes for a great hike: woodsy, water, scenic, peaceful, moderate, posted…read moresigns, and free parking was a bonus. We arrived around 10:15 am on a Thursday, and there were still a few parking spots in their smallish parking lot. I'm sure you'd have to come much earlier on the weekend. There's a map of the various trails. We decided to do a loop of: Fall Creek - S-cape - Ridge trail - back to parking lot. The Fall Creek section was very easy, and you're walking along the creek with a few small waterfalls to admire. A couple of times you cross over the creek, but there are planks to walk on. I couldn't stop taking pictures during this section. There's a bit of elevation when you get to the Ridge trail section, but nothing too bad. The only thing to be cautious of is the abundance of poison oak. There are some narrow paths where the poison oak was spilling over from both sides of the path. TIP: wear long pants. This is a hike that I'd come back to.

#641 #1/25 A very…read moreBeLated review of '23 summer hike... til next visit to a Lusher forest :) Started from Big Ben near Bonny Doon airport to Fall Creek and return. Climb Dry rebirth after the fire Me n this Forest Scenery is an old growth forest with little ground cover other than Redwood sorrels after the fire. Entirely canopied, easy and well kept but a steep trail. Heard owls at the top near Big Ben, a squirrel, few birds and some grasshoppers. Otherwise pretty quiet. Fall Creek had steady water flowing and a tiny waterfall at the time of my visit. Pups are NOT allowed here. Less visited old growth forest as the trail is continuous elevation down to Fall Creek and back up to Big Ben. A couple of crossing to HC Lime Kilns where the lime was used to rebuild SFO post 1906 earthquake and to Lost Empire. Signals were virtually nonexistent and the BBT is NOT marked! I took pictures of the Trail descriptions and maps prior to and that was helpful. Go with someone who is familiar with these trails or download descriptions and good trail mapS. Felton Empire Rd runs through it. There is NO parking lot or any signs to per se. Once you find the trail, you can park on the shoulder. Pro tip: It's MUCH easier to find and start from Bennet Creek to Fall Creek Trailhead as there is a parking lot off Felton Road. About 3 to 8.4 miles hike depending on the trails (partial loop) you choose with little to ~1500 ft elevation if you hike to Big Ben and entire loop (8.4 miles). Recommend water, protein bars and comfortable shoes.

We stopped by here for a Spartan picnic on the way to Santa Cruz for skating. Costco is great for…read morethis. A roast chicken ($5.00) , bag of Mediterranean Salad $4.50) Farmer bread or rolls for starch ($5-$6). And a nice Beaujolais for the adults. The park was clean and deserted. It was a bit late and cold for us to swim. The swimming hole looks quite low. We could not find the rope to swing off of, however we did find a tire swing. We definitely want to return mid week when it's earlier and spend a few hours here. The drive is really winding and narrow. There were three spots where we had to stop, let traffic come from the other side, then take our turn. One 3 milestretch was really slow as the road was not wide enough for 2-way traffic. A little fear/excitement for kids not knowing if an oncoming car was heading toward us. I admit I did a bit 'speed-racer' to heighten the rush.

Best little swimming hole for families with young children! Clean and always some "new" little…read morefriend to play with. Has a sandy beach and a few picnic tables for lunch. Is dog friendly just as long as they aren't left to roam and take a dump while you aren't there to take care of that to throw away like responsible pet caregivers do so nobody will step in the hot steamy load while barefooted cause ya'know... beach/water/park bbq's umm yeah Oh there's typically some beautiful ducks taking a swim in the afternoon.

The park itself is small and has a small uncovered playground. The real winner is the covered…read morebridge. It has historical significance as well as beauty and grandiosity. It is impossible to walk through this bridge and not pull out your phone to snap a few photos! There is a parking lot in front of the park, and it's close to a bunch of outdoor shopping areas, so the location is convenient and easy to get to. It is worth a stopover but don't expect this county park to be an adventure destination. It's pretty small, but it is cool!

It's worth a 10 minute stop to see some covered bridge history. Right next to a park so bring the…read morekids . Enjoy!

All I need to say is that this is the birth place of Sunset Magazine. I cannot believe this place…read moreis 2 miles from my house. Gorgeous for day hikes and watching wildlife. I've seen so many different bird species here it's unbelievable. Oh, and plenty of foxes, deer, and of course pumas.

Nice place to hike and walk about. Ponds, hiking trails. Little museum and some wild life.read more

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.

Love this park! It is so huge, seems so clean...and so much to do…read more There are bocce ball courts, playgrounds, a dog park, what looked like a skate park but was closed, a big field that we definitely saw a coyote running rampant on, picnic tables for birthdays, trails... So much in one park!

We were on our way to Santa Cruz, when we needed to make a pit stop for our dogs. We had stopped by…read morenext door at the dog park,but didn't even bother getting out. This park was a much better option. A paved trail to walk on. Water stations that worked and a very clean bathroom. There's also a huge green grassy field. We saw plenty of people walking their dogs on the lawn. Almost everyone had their dogs on leash. A much better option than the dog park

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.