Swimming holes and beach-swims near Santa Cruz that let you work in some exercise.
How paying parking fees at state parks, beaches makes a bigger difference than most people think.
Miles of empty beach in either direction.
Property will be closed to public access through May 1, 2025 to selectively harvest trees and maintain forest health.
The CZU Fire brought about a transformation that’s a wonder to behold, and Big Basin is open to visitors. Here’s how to get there and what you’ll find.
Friends of the Rail & Trail. Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail is a volunteer powered non-profit organization that advocates for transforming the 32-mile Coastal Rail Corridor into a trail and rail transit system.
Segment 5 of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network (aka Coastal Rail Trail) will connect Wilder Ranch to the town of Davenport.
Newish MTB-accessible trails wind through carefully protected wildlife habitat and thoughtful interpretive exhibits in the footprint of the CZU fire.
With the unveiling of new interpretive exhibits, the once-crumbling Castro Adobe emerges as a first-rate State Historic Park.
The original exhibit, “Cotoni-Coast Dairies: Monumental Steps,” looks at the soon-to-be-open National Monument on Santa Cruz County’s North Coast.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County helps mountain lions, badgers and other critters who risk death on highways that bisect their habitats.
Remnant of an ancient ecosystem in the middle of town.
Learn about wildfire resilience projects and resources for landowners at the inaugural Santa Cruz County Wildfire Resilience Summit.
Almost a half-million people per year contract the crippling ailment known as Lyme disease from tick bites. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
A practical, user-friendly guide to learning to surf in Santa Cruz: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Mark a significant moment such as a birthday or first date, or memorialize a loved one’s passing, by dedicating a picnic table at your favorite park or beach.
More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.
Ten recreation options available at Castle Rock State Park, just north of Boulder Creek, from climbing to horseback riding to picnicking with a view.
Felicia Van Stolk of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History explains how a California native-plant garden benefits wildlife in the neighborhood and beyond.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County acquired 14 acres of core habitat critical to the recovery of the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander.
