Coastal Hike at Wilder Ranch
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
Wilder Ranch State Park is just a few miles north of Santa Cruz. Wilder Ranch features some of the most beautiful coastline in California, and it is also an outdoor museum featuring the history of farming on the Santa Cruz coast.
Among the many animals you will see are cows, sheep and goats, as well as pelicans and all manner of coastal birds. And no visit to the coast is complete without viewing sea lions!
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos is a beautiful second-growth redwood forest. It was logged extensively from 1883-1923, but the removal of the old-growth canopies have allowed for a second growth that now actually sees the forest growing back more densely.
The forest became a State Park in 1963 when the Marks family of Salinas donated 9000 of the 10,000 acres that comprise the park. They named it after the family's matriarch, Nisene Marks.
Redwoods Hike at Fall Creek
Redwoods Hike at Forest of Nisene Marks
Redwoods Hike at Fall Creek
Fall Creek in Felton is part of Henry Cowell State Park. Fall Creek is a second-growth redwood forest with a fern-lined river canyon and remnants of a successful lime-processing industry.
Hike along the scenic creek along old logging trails to the historic lime kilns. You can also add a visit to the Henry Cowell Old Growth Redwood Loop just a five minute drive away