Sports & Outdoors
Local GemUC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Under $25A 115-acre botanic garden of Mediterranean-climate plants from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Chile.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Photo: Grey3k, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sports & Outdoors
Wilder Ranch State Park
Seaside state park north of Santa Cruz with a restored 19th-century dairy ranch, historic farm buildings, and many miles of trails.
Santa Cruz, CA
About Wilder Ranch State Park
Wilder Ranch State Park sits on the Pacific coast north of Santa Cruz, spread across roughly 7,000 acres of bluffs, marshland, and forested hills. The park preserves an early California dairy operation, where visitors can walk through restored buildings including an 1897 Victorian home, an 1859 farmhouse, and an 1896 water-powered machine shop. Free guided ranch tours run on weekends, and farm animals and picnic lawns add to the visit. Beyond the ranch complex, more than 35 miles of trails lead into the Santa Cruz Mountains or along the coastal cliffs, and horseback riders and mountain bikers have access to many routes. Dogs are not permitted except for service animals.
- #coastal
- #history
- #dairy ranch
- #hiking
- #biking
What's around here?
The closest stops to Wilder Ranch State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
2.5 mi awayMore like this
- Sports & Outdoors
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Under $25A Santa Cruz Mountains state park known for a 40-acre old-growth coast redwood grove and varied habitats.
3.6 mi awayMore like this
- Sightseeing
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Check pricesA restored single-story adobe, the only surviving building of a 1791 California mission, presenting its story through Ohlone and Yokuts perspectives.
4.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- Museums
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Under $25A downtown Santa Cruz museum of art and local history with bilingual exhibitions, community events, and archives.
4.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
- SightseeingOutdoor Adventure
Santa Cruz County
No admission feeCalifornia coastal county known for its beaches, redwood forests, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Transit: reachable by public transit
4.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- Sports & Outdoors
Coast Dairies State Park
Check pricesA state-held coastal property near Davenport with several beach access points along Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County.
5.3 mi awayMore like this
