Happening on the Blog
While most people will be ditching their books and heading to the beach for spring break, there are those of us who prefer a canopy of trees to the sound of the waves, and would rather hike to the top of a mountain instead of lounging in the sun. If you are more of a...
The Santa Cruz Mountains, and the surrounding areas, contain hundreds of miles of trails. To explore them all would take a lifetime of hiking, if not many lifetimes. The Skyline Ridge Preserve is one of the many Nature Preserves in the Santa Cruz Mountains that is well worth a visit on your next weekend away. ...
The Santa Cruz Mountains in winter are a mystical thing to behold. The redwood forests are dense and lush. Moss covers the surface of every tree, the cold mountain air sits densely in every canyon, making your breath fog up even in the middle of the day. Noises are softer when the undergrowth comes in...
Discover the Outdoors
Banana slugs are fascinating, even mesmerizing to observe in person. Watching one slide its way down a portion of a miles-long trail or up the side of a towering redwood is a meditative experience. However, despite their low speeds, they’re not always the easiest organisms to track down. Like a good hunter does their prey,...
Coming into Portola Redwoods State Park is akin to entering Doyle’s Lost World. Winding down a seemingly-forgotten road, watching as the ferns and huckleberries grow taller, the human population drops conspicuously. Cell service vanishes entirely, and it’s hard not to be overtaken by a growing sense of adventure and wonder. Named for the explorer Gaspar...
Though it’s not the biggest park in the county, there are hiking, biking, and equestrian options beyond what’s described here. It’s strongly recommended that adventurers go by the Visitor Center and talk to the docents about hike ideas, trail closures, wildlife sightings, and whatever other...
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