Tag: Santa Cruz Mountains

Butano Loop in Pescadero Creek County Park

A 13.5 mile loop with 2,350 feet of climbing up to Butano ridge, this is a long stroll in the woods through second generation redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Pescadero Creek Park is the largest of triad of adjacent county parks, and is also connected to Portola Redwoods State Park. In the Santa Cruz mountains and filled with second generation redwoods the park also features multiple backpacking campsites. Many tree very large tree stumps are visible from the trails but the newer trees are thick and tower overhead.

Thick second generation redwood trees along Old Haul Road which follows Pescadero Creek valley through the park

The Butano Loop follows Old Haul Road, and old logging road, along the Pescadero Creek valley, and climbs up a single track hiking trail which is gently graded, climbing 1,500 feet to a fire road, following the ridgeline before descending back down to the valley.

Banana Slugs on Butano Fire Road

I’ve hiked this loop multiple times and you almost feel like you have most of the park to yourself once on the loop, there are no great vistas from the trail, just the bay ridge peeking through here and there and a lot of trees.

Route

  1. The hike starts at the Hoffman Creek trailhead on Wurr Road where there’s free street side parking, crossing over Hoffman Creek and following along Old Haul Road for the first 1.9 miles.
  2. At this point you can either follow Ocean View Trail up anti-clockwise or continue on as I did and to the loop clockwise. Butano Loop Trail is another 2.5 miles along Old Haul Road, which undulates slightly but is mostly flat as it follows the valley formed by Pescadero Creek.
    Butano Loop Trail meanders through the redwoods up to Butano ridge
  3. Butano Loop Trail climbs 1,500 feet uphill for 3 miles to join up to Butano Fire Road. The trail meanders and switchbacks through the trees with a fairly constant grade which makes it a pleasant climb. Near to the junction there’s some rock formations which overhang as the softer rock underneath has eroded away.
  4. Butano Fire Road follows along the ridge for 1.9 miles peeking out into the sun in a couple of places. The tree cover on both sides obscures any views.
    Ocean View Trail descends back down to Old Haul Road
  5. Ocean View Trail descends back down to Old Haul Road over 2.4 miles, the final half mile follows along Dark Gulch valley, a seasonal tributary into Pescadero Creek, true to its name it’s cooler and darker and a little lusher.
    Ocean View Trail along Dark Gulch valley
  6. Finally retrace your steps along Old Haul Road for the final 1.9 miles back up to the trailhead.

The hike starts at the Hoffman Creek trailhead on Wurr Road where there’s free street side parking, crossing over Hoffman Creek and following along Old Haul Road for the first 1.9 miles.

Long Ridge Preserve to Peters Creek Loop Portola Redwoods State Park

A 15 mile out and back (with a small loop at the end) hike with 2,900 feet of elevation change from Long Ridge Open Space Preserve down to Portola Redwoods State Park and over a ridge to Peters Creek Loop, the route starts with views over the forested Santa Cruz mountains before descending into lush redwood groves along a year round stream.

Peters Creek Loop in Portola Redwoods State Park is one of my favourite destinations in the bay area, it’s a three-pronged loop around the intersection of Peters Creek and Bear Creek with lush coastal redwood forest floor of ferns and clover and towering trees. The route also follows along Slate Creek and the site of Page Mill (there’s nothing there now but a sign) for which Page Mill Road owes its name; William Page lumbered redwood in the 1850s, carting it over to the bay via Embarcadero.

A sign at the intersection of Slate Creek and Bear Creek Trails warns of the distance of the round trip hike for unprepared hikers.

Because Peters Creek is many miles into the park it’s not very busy although on the weekend you’re very likely to see groups of hikers walking over. On memorial day the backpackers camp at Slate Creek was full.

Bear Creek Trail is a single track but as it follows the valley up from Slate Creek seems like it must have been an old road due to the grading, which is possibly how the car wreckage founds its way to its resting place.

Trailhead

The trailhead for Long Ridge Open Space Preserve is just parallel parking along both sides of the road on Skyline Boulevard.

Route

  1. The route starts following Hickory Oaks Trail from the trailhead. This trail is well used by mountain bikers on the weekends. The trail starts off partially shaded but quickly leaves shade behind and follows the ridge around exposed grassy hills. In summer it can be blisteringly hot, the hike starts at the top of a ridge so the first few miles are mostly downhill but this means the final few miles are back up, make sure you have enough water for this last bit, particularly in the summer.
    The view from Long Ridge Open Space Preserve across the Santa Cruz mountains across with some lingering coastal fog.
  2. Hickory Oaks trail connects to Ward Road Trail which descends down, out of Long Ridge and turns into Slate Creek Trail as it enters Portola Redwoods State Park. As it descends it turns into single track and meanders down through the forest eventually turning once it reaches Slate Creek.
  3. Slate Creek is also redwood lined although not quite as pretty as Peters Creek. Shortly before the intersection with Bear Creek Trail is a plaque showing the site of Page Mill. The Slate Creek backpackers camp is also located at the intersection.
    Slate Creek Trail has lush green redwood undergrowth as it follows Slate Creek.
  4. Bear Creek Trail leads up and over a ridge and descends down into Peters Creek. Along the upwards trail there’s the abandoned wreckage of an old car off to the side.
    An old abandoned car is found to the side of the trail along Bear Creek Trail.
  5. Bear Creek Trail by first crossing over Bear Creek and then joining up to Peters Creek loop which crosses over Peters Creek twice. The Bear Creek crossing has a bridge but neither crossing of Peters Creek does, but the creek is usually low enough to hop over using stones. The creek is beautiful and a great stopping point for lunch.
    Peters Creek is an old growth redwood grove and is particularly beautiful in the sun with the moss covered downed trees and a green carpeted forest floor.
  6. After following Peters Creek loop retrace your steps back up to Long Ridge, there’s a lot more climbing on the way back, and the end in particular is exposed.

Maps and References

The Long Ridge Open Space Preserve map shows the first section of the hike to Slate Creek Trail and the Portola Redwoods State Park brochure shows the second section from Slate Creek Trail to Peters Creek loop. Redwood Hikes Press prints a map of Skyline Ridge which shows the complete trail, and is also available digitally using PDFMaps.