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From the

Mountains to the Sea in Natural beauty thrives
State Parks
Many state parks in Santa Cruz County feature unbroken trails which begin The vast preserves of open spaces in Santa Cruz County are a tribute to the

in redwood-covered mountains and end on the rugged, windswept beaches of the Pacific Coast. With a path that winds along majestic old-growth redwoods, graceful waterfalls and gorgeous vistas, hiking the Skyline to the Sea Trail through Big Basin Redwoods State Park is just one of many ways to experience Santa Cruz County’s natural beauty.

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early conservation efforts that began over a century ago. The first campaign to save the redwoods succeeded in establishing Big Basin Redwoods State Park in 1902, now California’s oldest state park. Today, Santa Cruz County has an extraordinary number of state parks —14 in all — and each offers a unique experience for visitors. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient redwoods south of San Francisco. Big Basin encompasses 18,000 acres of old growth and recovering redwood forest. The 110-year old park offers over 80 miles of trails alongside creeks, waterfalls, and giant trees. Some of the trails link Big Basin to Castle Rock State Park and the eastern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Along the crest of the mountains, Castle Rock State Park is a forested wilderness of redwoods, Douglas fir and madrone with 32 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. The park features a number of unusual sandstone outcroppings perfect for rock climbing. In Felton, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park’s wheelchair and strolleraccessible Redwood Grove Trail circles around the park’s oldest and largest trees. More trails crisscross the San Lorenzo River and its steep, redwood-covered canyons. The park also features a visitor center, a campground, wi-fi internet access, picnic areas and interpretative programs. The trails of nearby Fall Creek State Park are far less traveled. The park’s stillness stands in sharp contrast to the sounds of the early industrial operations that once echoed through the canyons. Today, the trickling waters of Fall Creek welcome hikers and remnants of old logging operations, quarries and limekilns along the park’s trails. The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos is another tribute to nature’s resilience. This dense, redwood paradise was clear-cut as recently as 1923, but today, towering second growth redwoods populate the hillsides. The 10,000acre park offers miles of trails for walking, running, hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Interesting sites include an unusual, twisted grove of redwoods, remnants of an old sawmill, and the epicenter of the devastating 1989 Loma

Photo: Paul Schraub

2 0 1 2 O f f i C i a l S a N Ta C R u z C O u N T y T R aV E l E R ’ S G u i d E



Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012

Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012
Contents
Welcome to Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz
Your Wildlife Watching Destination
Field to Table
Locally Made
From the Mountains to the Sea
Culture and Creativity
2012 Events Calendar
Maps
A Wine Lover’s Paradise
Monterey Bay
Galleries and Museums
Exploring Santa Cruz County’s Great Outdoors
Capitola and Soquel
Pajaro Valley and Watsonville
San Lorenzo Valley
Scotts Valley
Pleasure Point
Aptos
Davenport
Restaurant Guide
Lodging Guide
Visitor Activities
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Intro
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Cover2
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 1
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 2
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 3
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 4
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 5
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 6
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Contents
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 8
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Welcome to Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 10
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 11
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 13
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 14
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 15
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 16
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Your Wildlife Watching Destination
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 18
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Field to Table
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 20
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Locally Made
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - From the Mountains to the Sea
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 23
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 24
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Culture and Creativity
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 26
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 2012 Events Calendar
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 28
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 29
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 30
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 31
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Maps
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 33
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 36
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 37
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 38
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - A Wine Lover’s Paradise
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Monterey Bay
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 41
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Galleries and Museums
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 43
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Exploring Santa Cruz County’s Great Outdoors
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 45
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 46
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Capitola and Soquel
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 48
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 49
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 50
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Pajaro Valley and Watsonville
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 52
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - San Lorenzo Valley
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 54
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Scotts Valley
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 56
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Pleasure Point
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 58
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Aptos
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Davenport
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 61
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Restaurant Guide
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 63
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 64
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 65
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Lodging Guide
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 67
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 68
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 69
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 70
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Visitor Activities
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 72
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 73
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 74
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 75
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - 76
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Cover3
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012 - Cover4
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