wilder ranch state park

Oh, this is one of those places that I am happy the State of CA made into a State Park. Mountain bike & hiking trails everywhere, from along the coastline looking right down on the rugged coves, to high up into the hills above the coast! Just beautiful!

We never fail to return from a visit to Wilder Ranch without feeling more peaceful and connected. Walking out to the cliffs or exploring the barns, small museum and gift shop transports us to a different world and time. Be sure to support your local parks and drive in to the park (not on the highway). It's a small price to pay for what you get in return.

This is a nice little green patch that used to be a family ranch. Luckily, some very generous people have donated this site to be used for the public's enjoyment! Thank you whomever you are! We did find the trail signs a bit confusing/lacking but to be honest we had parked out on the road and walked in so we didn't talk to the lady in the parking lot. However, our friends that met us there did park inside of the ranch and they didn't know more than we did, so I'm not sure if it makes a difference. We ended up on a few dead end trails, when we headed along the coast. However, if you follow the road inside the park to the barn and head behind it, there are several loop trails that go up the hills and lead you to wonderful panoramic ocean views. Getting lost around the ranch didn't bother us, it was beautiful! Plus you can't really get too lost, you can see the ocean so its easy to find your way back to the road!

This is a must do ! Whether you're a novice hiker or an extreme one - this place is to fall in love with ! We have always come towards the end of the day - around 3pm to avoid the major crowds or the parking dilemma. If you go early pay park inside the grounds but its limited. If you find an open spot along the hiway- park and be careful. Coming after the crowd leaves give you time to stroll, hike and admire every step you take. The coastal bluffs are so amazing and on a beautiful winter day the sunset is amazing with the light swirls from the sunset. Stop and look down the edges and you'll see the rock where all the sea birds hangout and then move on to see all the seals hangout. If you're not afraid of the dark after the sunset its just quiet and beautiful along the trail back to the parking lot. It's a marine reserve which means its protected - no fishing, explore the park and just leave your footprints behind!

Hi, I absoultely love this place!! This is an amazing place to go for a hike!! One of my favorites!! Bring some water, and a camera cool pics of the view from the top!! It's like being on top of the world!! I promise you'll love it!!

Completely unknown to us before we arrived in Santa Cruz, Wilder Ranch turned out toe be a wonderful surprise.Directly off of Hwy 1, 15 minutes from downtown Santa Cruz, this is a fantastic way to spend 1 ½ - 2 hrs, or an entire afternoon. The centerpiece of this park is a 2-mile level walk along jaw-dropping cliffs overlooking the Pacific. The unspoiled natural views here are dramatically different than those offered on West Cliffs Drive.The hiking/biking trail originates from a parking lot next to the ranger station. After a 20-minute walk through the sandy chaparral, you reach the coastline where the trail follows the cliffs for more than a mile. We visited at Thanksgiving and had beautiful blue skies with temperatures in the low 70s. It could not have been more ideal.We have hiked a lot of trails in a lot of parks, and I would highly recommend this one for its ease, remarkable views and easy access to beaches.

Love the Ranch, lots to do and see any time of year, but fabulous in October when they have a Harvest Fair that include an apple tasting and sooo many heritage apples, most of which I'd never heard of, and from which I know which I want to plant in my own yard. Give me "Liberty" or give me.. well, I love Mutsu too, and Winter Gravenstein, and well, you need to pick your own.. and grow baby grow. Love it.

Loved this place. We visited for the Fall Festival and walked the trails all over. Beautiful views and very nice trails with cleared pathways. We saw lots of birds, which is why we went. Good photo opportunities, too.

We stop here from time to time to walk the round trip trail through crop fields out to the coast. There are a few stopping points along the way where you can get down to the sweet little beaches. Lots of bikers seem to like it too though, and no pets are allowed. Can be very cold and windy. There is an actual ranch that you can visit, but I would say don't waste your time. There are other trails as well on both sides of Highway 1. Park on the highway and walk in.

If you mountain bike or hike this place along the coast line, you will want to keep coming back over and over again. I never get tired of this place and try to come here as often as I can.The views are spectacular and the path is well defined.Great place to spend your day.

The Wilder Ranch State Park has many trails, ranging from less than 1 mile to 4 miles. We hiked a total of 11 miles around the park. This park was unique because it offered so many points of interests. They included the old ranch buildings (some hosting alien-looking birds' nests [likely swallows]), seasonal pumpkin patches, railroad tracks, fields of artichokes and Brussels sprouts, a rosemary herb garden, horses, chickens, sheep, goats, a barnyard cat, wild turkeys, and ocean bluffs. The hiking terrain had mild inclines and declines, so the hike was very manageable. We did get a bit lost, as there was an unmapped detour due to erosion and the trail signage was often absent and/or not very clear, especially when we were hiking around the ocean bluff area as we weren't sure where the mapped trails were. As the bluffs were at the end of our hike, we chose to hike back along the old railroad tracks, which led us back to the parking area. Be sure to have exactly $10 for the self-pay envelope and parking permit. The parking lot had plenty of parking spaces. There are bathroom facilities near the parking area, but there is no soap. The park visitors center was closed when we arrived after 8am (a sign said it opens at 10am), so we couldn't get any park maps even if they were available. Download and/or print the map from the state parks website before you go. Overall we had a nice 3.5 hour hike.

Wilder ranch was a profitable working ranch for about 100 years. The historical buildings have been restored and converted to a museum. It also offers a hiking trail along the coast. We went on a Labor's day weekend and it was still not crowded - so it is quite a secluded stretch of trail. While hiking, we spotted lots of snowy plovers, sea lions toasting themselves on the rocks and a happy whale swimming in the ocean. Eroded cliffs and the greenish blue waters with bright summer sun made for a good hike :)The parking meter is a quaint old rusted box which contains paper envelopes. All you need to do is take one of those, scribble down your vehicle number and pay $10 for a day parking. Make sure you carry some water and snacks as this trail has no shade. During summers, it can get really hot with the sun beating down relentlessly.It was a good 3 hrs trail along the ocean, with breaks in between for photo sessions. While you are there, you could also visit Natural Bridges State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The redwoods are a little younger than Muir redwoods - but the plus is, it is not even half as crowded as Muir.

Wilder ranch is a very secluded, quite beach (at least it was the time's I went). It has stunning views and amazing landscape. My son, my wife and I enjoyed our day at the beach very much, not often you get a whole beach to yourself.

This is a fantastic way to experience life in old historical SantaCruz at Wilder Ranch 's open houses that bring the past alive.Great hiking paths and biking paths for the whole family

This place has lots of cool things. A historical farm with restored buildings (the first to have electricity thanks to the pelton water wheel), an old adobe hut, farm animals, many times with living history demonstrations where you can learn about the past, as well as beautiful grounds that are great for picnics (an ancient cypress tree you need to climb) and bike rides/hikes to the near ocean cliffs and secluded beaches. You can ride all the way to four mile beach on these cliffs too, with breath taking views but relatively flat and easy to ride, as long as there is no wind!!