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Activities
San Vicente Redwoods Information
On this 1.5-mile hike, you’ll get a fascinating glimpse of a forest actively recovering from the 2020 wildfires.
Watch for:
From fire-resilient oaks to yerba santa, there's plenty of plant-life to observe on this hike.
Hiking Details for San Vicente Redwoods
Note: Visitors must pre-register for passes before hiking at San Vicente Redwoods.
Distance: 1.5-mile loop
Elevation change: Mostly flat
Hiking time: less than 1 hour
Trail surface: Packed dirt
Best Season: All year
Managing agency: Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Parking lot location: Click here for directions
Overview: Songbirds and raptors are abundant at this site, so bring your binoculars. Some amphibian residents include the endangered California red-legged frog, toxic California newt and (during the rainy season) the Pacific giant salamander.
As you meander, you’ll be catching a rare glimpse into a forest that’s actively rebounding from recent wildfire and former clearcutting. Along the trail system, you’ll see oaks and other broadleaf tree species in different stages of post-fire recovery.
Owing to spotty tree cover over the trails, we recommend toting a hat and some sunscreen.
San Vicente Redwoods Photo Gallery
More About San Vicente Redwoods
This site features a new 72-space parking lot and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. There are five dirt trails to explore, all with low inclines. These loops and out-and-back trails wind through just over seven miles of oak and redwood forests. To recognize the people who inhabited and stewarded these lands for millennia, the names of the five trails are in the Awaswas language. If you have a day to spare, consider exploring them all!