I love this park! There are plenty of trails and they are well maintained. Dog friendly - I saw several people with their dogs

This is large open space in the hills of Santa Cruz near the UC. It is not really a public park in terms 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! read more

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Beautiful trail in the Santa Cruz mountains to experience true natural beauty of walking among redwoods. 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 read more

Pogonip - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Very easy hike just off of UCSC. Sad to see trash on the trails. The koi fish were very cool to see read more

Pogonip - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Pogonip was worth the trip. We entered from the UCSC trailhead parked up above at the university parking and walked along the road to enter the trail. It was easy hiking and absolutely beautiful. The koi fish were the bonus for sure! Everyone we encountered on the trail was kind and considerate. read more

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Nice little hidden open space that is tucked back near the Costco shopping center. Trails are not well maintained and there's a fair amount of trash scattered around as well. It's a bit depressing to see a beautiful natural preserve deteriorate to what it is currently. read more

Dirty meth garbage scattered everywhere. Unsafe. Really like the most shockingly bad space to run. And even worse if you think about running alone read more

This place is SCARY!! I literally wanted to check this place out because of the koi pond that people have been posting on IG. Turned out this place, well.. first off this place is somewhat beautiful.. however, the forest is kind of mysterious. Second thing, there are quite a lot of homeless people live here. They scattered everywhere all over in pogonip trails. First we found a shopping cart under the bridge, then walk another mile, you would find an abandoned bike. LIKE, who left a bike and abandoned it there?? By that point I was getting scared and scared, just the feeling was not right. Especially I brought my two kids with me. On the way back, we found a tent with some human living beings living inside. How would I know? There were people coughing inside and I could sensed miles away. After that we encountered two people carrying wagon with stuff inside. Another homeless people. Read the review below me. Some said there are people who did heroin and marijuana transaction on pogonip. If I were you, I would use my conscience and chose another trail/hiking place. read more

A very kind local resident of Santa Cruz recommended Pogonip to us and we are so happy that he did! It's a really great spot for a hike and provides just the right amount of dosage for a nature buzz. This gem is clean, trails are well marked, largely shaded, and lots of other hikers are on the go. Definitely kid friendly and all pets are welcomed. Low activity on bugs and other critters. Really cool stops to sight see. P.S. look for the hidden Koi Fish pond! Truly, a nice great after you get about 3 miles in. read more

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Came here for a hike yesterday based on the ratings and regretted it. Parking was a challenge but that's fine. The issue was we found needles, bottles, and a lot of other junk on the trails. Well, the issue mainly the needles...imagine a dog or a child picking that up. The location is great but please be cautious. read more

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Nice place for a walk or a light hike in Santa Cruz. It's free and there are a few places to enter. I went up spring street and parked in the neighborhood. There's a nice trail that is wide and good for walking dogs or running too. Lots of nice redwood trees and when it's clear you can see the bay. There are no bathrooms. read more

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Great place for hiking in nature. I recently did the Emma Mcrary Trail to U-Con trail which took about 2.5 hours. You can bring your dog here so it is nice and the trail is marked so easy to follow and not get lost. The trail is in good condition and seems like people don't trash the place so thats nice. read more

I finally checked out Pogonip (POGOnip) after seeing on IG that there is a koi pond in the park. That is so cool! We parked FREE at Harvey West Park because they have flushed toilets there and it's easy to walk into Pogonip from there. We did the Lookout Trail and didn't look behind us until we got to the end of the trail, oops. But we did turn around and could see a far away view of the Pacific Ocean. Then we did the Spring Trail to Fern Trail, then we did the Lime Kiln Trail to see the Limekilns (I think this was on Spring Box Trail actually) and the strange rock arts. Koi Pond is on Spring Box Trail/Lime Kiln Trail - it's a bit off the trail, you'll see a creek just follow it down. It's a small, square box with koi in the pond. I can't believe they can survive there. We walked up to the gate into Henry Cowell Redwoods SP, then down Fern Trail. Some website said there's heroin dealers on Fern Trail and trails North but we didn't see any. We saw the Ranger Station (think abandoned), the Clubhouse is a old, closed and fenced off building, behind it is a sign to read more about it. Someone told me it was in the movie "The Lost Boys" aka Grandpa's House. We did the Nature Loop trail - it's nothing special. On the way back to Harvey West Park I saw a guy with a box of marijuana (I think) he might be a seller, not sure. Scary stuff! Then back to car. I think we did about 8 miles. Took us from 9:25am - 3:30pm. Close to Costco and Downtown Santa Cruz so you can get food and drinks afterwards. read more

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This is probably one of the best places close to town to get away. Pogonip has a long history. Once was a ranch then a country club, now its a city park. The trails are well maintained and east flow to follow. if you go in the early morning or evening you will surely see wildlife like Bobcats, Coyote, ground varments and even a nesting Bald Eagle. This park is totally free but you have to get creative with parking. Park on Hwy 9 and walk in or Uber from downtown. The park is the home to one of the best routes into the Santa Cruz mountains on a mountain bike. The Emma McCary Trail, its a multi-purpose trail but don't hike it, It gets heavy bike traffic. Again, parking is bad, ride your bike on the levee from ample parking and beer downtown. All year is great to ride except on heavy rainy days. read more

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The pogonip forest is amazing. A true treasure, I love the fact that Mother Nature provides this amazing forest. read more

Pogonip - This forest is awesome I love walking this trail when my bike tires pop LOL - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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What an awesome place to hike!! I came here last week with the bf hoping for an adventure. Considering it was our first time at Pogonip, we did brief research on what to expect. To start, parking is very limited but our mid week visit provided plenty of parking (but there are other sites you can park at and walk into Pogonip). We anticipated on finding the rock labyrinth, koi pond and lime kilns. And it's a good idea to keep a map on hand! I would recommend once you enter at Golf Club Drive gate, continue to walk up that road. We initially walked to the right but encountered a small homeless encampment and a few transients walking around. But beyond that, just hike around and enjoy the surroundings!! We hiked about 7 miles. We encountered the club house which was in The Lost Boys film (OMG! so cool), the historical lime kiln, a rock garden (that was unexpected and spooky at first; think Blair Witch), koi pond, rock labyrinth and a beautiful view of the boardwalk and coast! At this point of the hike, a map came in handy because we didn't want to back track to the car. So we found a trail that looped us back to the main road. Overall, Pogonip has great trails and history. I will definitely be hiking here again! read more

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One of the five entrances to the Pogonip system of trails is right around the corner from my office, so lunchtime here on a nice day the trails fill with my coworkers out getting their jog on. For a while I came here about twice a week (current winter weather = increased laziness), and even though there aren't enough different combinations of trails to totally mix it up, I was still loving every minute in this gorgeous spot. I mean, do views of Monterey Bay and perfectly tranquil paths through redwood groves ever get old? There are about eight miles of trails, most of the giant redwood/ shaded ferns variety, but a couple of the loops take you out to wide open fields. Spring Trail is particularly flat and wide, making it a perfect place to get off the treadmill and do some real running, while the Pogonip Nature Loop gives you all that is perfect about Santa Cruz in a neat little hike you can crank out on a lunch break. read more

Pogonip - snagged from their website - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

A nice local hiking spot! It's a fairly large park right by downtown Santa Cruz and UCSC that opens up to a hill where you can overlook most of Santa Cruz (all the way to the ocean!) There are some sketchier, dilapidated trails (don't take the Lower Meadow Trail, esp. at night). The Clubhouse sounds nice but is just a half broken down building now. But the Pogonip Creek Nature Loop is very beautiful and more of an easy stroll than a strenuous hike. The Prairie Trail part of the hike is really nice! It goes through an open meadow/prairie where you can get a good view of downtown and the ocean. The park is also dog friendly! But please, pick up after your pup... read more

Pogonip - View from the clearing - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

BEAUTIFUL hike!!! First time here and really enjoyed the adventure. Different trails/ distances to choose from. At the start you will find a billboard with a huge map, and little map vouchers of what you could expect in a nature atmosphere. Good for kids, adults, and pets. (We took our 6 month pup with us). There are so many things that attracted our attention. To begin with there were so many little hidden gems along the way, from little creeks, a little pond area with fishies, and a neat hidden (not through trail) that is filled with rocks stacked on top of each other with notes in between. I can't recall the names of the trails that connect to it. I did not do the 5th star due to parking.... we parked in front of a bus station company and walked through the path to reach the beginning of the trails. When we reached the start, we saw about 5 cars parked there. Isn't a huge deal, but for those who like parking on site, recommended to get there earlier. We arrived at about 12:30pm. Nonetheless, beautiful scenery, filled with all the pretty greens, open reserve area to allow your dog to enjoy his or her surroundings also. Loved it! Will be back soon. :) read more

Pogonip - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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If you like the outdoors, trees, green moss and greenery in general, you will like hiking in Pogonip park. There are quite a few trails that are hiking only and I see plenty of people walking their dogs here. (So watch where you step on the fire roads). It connects to the Rincon and U-Con trail that heads up to the upper UCSC campus. While the park is not huge, you can still get a good hiking workout. If you want to hike more, head up the the upper campus and cross over Empire Grade into Wilder Ranch state park. There are more hiking trails and a good view of the ocean down to the Monterrey area. read more

The trail itself is 10 stars, stunning, such a fantastic trail. The mountain bikers trail etiquette is a whole other story! If you are a beginner mountain biker like me you might notice that at least half the population has No consideration and No trail etiquette. Half of the population, thank you to the 5 women who dare this male dominated space and the few good men. The others: Did you notice that the trail is for EVERYONE?! So newbies: The trail will treat you great! BUT Most riders will have ZERO problem running you over! I will not be coming back to this trail. What a community that is! read more

Loved this hike. From the street entrance we hiked up to Spring Box, doubled back to the trail leading into the meadow and the lodge, then back up and out. Took about two hours and change with a few small breaks for water and a snack. The hike is either under redwood cover or in the open meadow, both are clearly identifiable on the map. read more

Just had the greatest experience at Pogonip over the weekend! I kept telling my fiance that I really wanted to go there and he was like "what the heck is Pogonip"!! I guess the name is pretty funny! But that is why I was drawn to it!! We took our dogs and headed out on the trails. They are well maintained and I didn't feel worried about getting poison oak or anything. We spent about 3 hours hiking around and it was gorgeous. Not too many other hikers on the trails that day. My dogs had so much fun and we all got a good workout. There is a nice mix of flat and steep areas. I think the trails are also well marked. We cheated a little with the GPS on our phone. I'm sure we will be back many times in the future. read more

Pogonip - Enjoying the trail - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Lots of open spaces and redwood trees. Pretty picturesque! Its a great break from city life. If youre walking, watch out for multi use trails because bikers can come quick down switch backs. Maps available online and the trailheads are well marked with quite a few different loops. Trails got pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon, but not super packed. Got to enjoy nature on relatively flat well groomed trails. Lots of places to enter park. Caution: no bathroom facilities! read more

Pogonip - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Trail was beautiful. Took a stroll through the forest with the girlfriend around noon on a Sunday. I will say that there are a LOT of bikers and the trail is rather tiny, so we had to stop every few 50ft or so to let them pass. However, the scenery and trees throughout the trail were incredible enough to overlook the hassle. read more

I wanted to like this place because it's right as you enter Santa Cruz off of 87. I didn't feel comfortable for most of the hike, as there was poison oak left and right and we had a dog with us that really couldn't walk into anything. Maybe it's better for biking vs walking. read more

Pogonip makes for a great short hike, especially if you're visiting Santa Cruz and don't have much time. You can easily maneuver the trails and find the best combination to see all that the Santa Cruz landscape has to offer. It's also a great place to go if you're new to hiking, since the trails are well maintained and marked, making it super easy to navigate. Many trails allow dogs on leashes and a few allow mountain biking. It's also very easy to get to from campus, so it's great for students who don't have cars. I believe there's a trail entrance off of Coolidge Drive near Chadwick Garden and another up past the Crown apartments. read more

Pogonip - Looking towards the city from the top of Prairie Trail - Parks Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

One of my favorite places to hike in the Bay Area. This place has beautiful redwoods and the hikes are not too hard. They also have some unique places like the Koi Pond or Rock Garden. Parking is a bit tricky since they don't have a designated parking lot so take a look at the map before you go. Dogs are allowed but there are ticks in the area so be warned! There are also a good portion of trails that are popular for dirt biking so if you want to go hiking it would be nicer/safer to avoid those trails. read more

Pogonip is a great area for quick day hikes (and apparently mountain biking!). The majority of it is shaded nicely by trees so it stays relatively cooler even on a warmer day. We were surprised to find how close this is to the downtown area, making it ultra accessible and not too far of a drive like some of the other hike-y areas we've been to. Overall I really enjoyed Pogonip. The incline/decline isn't too intense in either direction (unless you're on a mountain bike, then you may struggle a little bit) and the 'paths' are comfortable enough where you could even go for a run pretty easily. The highlight of the park is definitely how lush it is with the numerous trees and potential streams (when there's not a drought), and the fact that doesn't seem to be too overcrowded (unless you stumble into a Mountain Bike Trail Preview like we did). read more

What's not to love. River crossings, train tracks, and the Redwoods. An epic ride especially if you do the loop to Highway 1 read more

It is actually a pretty beautiful place to hike- only across few streets from the UC campus. I wish I had a bike so I could have taken that trail, but I walked. Walking was fun. I had no idea where I was going frankly, but I really recommend taking the Bradshaw Trail and the Fern Trail. From the entrance, if you keep walking straight, you can also see the UCSC to the right. Make sure you read the board that warns you about the coyotes and other animals that resides there. Hiking alone, I was pretty scared I may run into some. Overall very beautiful place to hike. It is not that long either. read more

Pogonip is the spot for nature lovers and lovers in nature. Watch out as you round corners cause you could just as easily come across a nude sunbather as a mountain lion (seriously). Easy access is from the top of Spring St off of High St. Or wander up from Harvey West. Or drop in from the East Overlook of UCSC. Just keep the bikes off the trails and the dogs on leash please. This is a walker/jogger spot and those rules do apply to you. read more

It's a nice park but it's seedy as shit. I wouldn't go here after 7 and definitely not alone. Bunch of hobos and crackheads call this place their home. The rock garden and koi pond are pretty cool though. read more

The Pogonip trails, it was a beautiful hike with great scenery . Great place to go hiking with your girl and you could bring your dog. Love the trail, love the hiking . Had a great time great time. read more

I actually lived on this site part time, when my family came back from China somewhere around 1947. My Dad, Jim, was the main cook, bartender and general manager of this already ramshackle site and my mom Angela catered a number of functions there. If I remember correctly (I am now 76 years old) there was a pool on the site, just to the left of the main clubhouse, which Dad would not let us use, unless he was with us. We spent most weekends at Po Go Nip until we bought a home on Ocean View Avenue. My brother David and I roamed along overgrown pathways to an odd place where there was a huge barrel up on some wooden blocks and which was very overgrown with moss and trailing vines. We did not go there often as it was a bit scary! There was a horseback riding place just down the road a bit and I actually got to ride at least once, as I remember. When we asked our Dad what Po Go Nip meant, he told us that the PO was for Polo (which had been played there quite often and long before we arrived on the scene) GO was for the golf which was also played there and of course the NIP was for the drinks which flowed pretty much all of the time. (Some folks actually continued to come up to PoGoNip on a regular basis for this function!) I do have a few other memories of this place in my childhood and would be happy to share them with you, should you wish to go further down "my memory lane"? sincerely yours, Jana Reid, nee Combs janadick@comcast.net read more

My french bulldog and I have done this hike a few times but today he was bit by a tick. Be sure to check your pets after the hike in warm/ less hairy places of their body. read more

What a gorgeous place to adventure! Pogonip is a beautiful jaunt through a few trails, just across the street from UCSC. I spent a few hours wandering through here with my ladylove, hugging massive trees and peeking into decrepit lime kilns. When we got tired from all the smiling, laughing, oh, and hiking, we stopped off in a big sunny field with wild flours abound, and laid down to stare at the clouds. Though I haven't done the climbs yet, I hear that these trails lead all the way into winding paths up the campus hills, Santa Cruz mountains, eventually connecting with Big Basin (yikes, that would be quite the long adventure!). Parking can be a thing due to most of it being on campus, but I doubt it would be much of a deterrent. Now go catch that sun! read more

This a great place to go hiking. There are different trails to take depending on how long you want to go. The koi pond is always a nice place to go sit and relax. There used to be fish food to feed them but I'm not sure if that is still happening. Its easy to access from UCSC. read more

This is one of my favorite places to walk in Santa Cruz. My favorite is the Spring Trail, which goes from the end of Spring Street all the way up to Highway 9 along a mostly level wide fire road. Dogs are permitted on leash. read more

Huge park with so much to explore. Endless hikes and thing to make an adventure. Ive had a lot of fun here and will continue to do so. (Ps. See if you can find the gold fish/koi pond) read more