Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/14/26
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Categories
Hike – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Observation Deck Loop (Main Unit, not Fall Creek), near Felton
Meet at one of two places:
- Carpool from Los Gatos at 9:20 am, Northside Parking Lot on CA-9 between University and Santa Cruz Avenues. Sign reads: “Free Unlimited Parking – Northside Lot”. Take CA-17 south toward Los Gatos. Exit at CA-9 Los Gatos/Saratoga and continue west on CA-9 for 0.3 mile to the parking lot on your right, just before Santa Cruz Avenue.
- At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park at 10 am. If you drive directly, take CA-17 south from San Jose toward Santa Cruz. Exit CA-17 at Mt. Hermon Road in Scotts Valley. Follow Mt. Hermon until it ends at Graham Hill Road. Turn right onto Graham Hill, and then left onto CA-9. The park entrance is about 2 miles on the left.
Parking is $9 per car for seniors (free with Limited Golden Bear State Park Pass). 101 Big Trees Park Road, Felton, CA. Open daily sunrise to sunset.
The hike begins at Henry Cowell State Park Visitor Center at 10 am.
[Counter-clockwise Observation Deck loop] The Redwood Grove Loop Trail takes us through rare old-growth forest to the banks of the San Lorenzo River. We will hike out of the canyon on Pipeline to the Ridge Fire Road, which takes us to the Santa Cruz Sandhills, a remarkable ecology-geology anomaly. We’ll climb a flight of stairs for a picnic lunch atop the Observation Deck, with a spectacular 360-degree view of the Santa Cruz Mountains (and acorn woodpeckers).
We will take the Pine Trail for the return loop, transitioning from oak/madrone (watch for poison oak) to redwoods on Eagle Creek, where we’ll descend (steeply in places) to again meet Pipeline. We will return on River Trail to finish the Redwood Grove loop.
If you want to cancel your reservation/sign up:
Call or send an email message to the event leader and inform the leader of your cancellation. (kpm5000@aol.com or call Klaus Model at 617-515-6895)
