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moderate

  • Wilder Ranch State Park
  • Open a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset
  • $10

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming

Ohlone Bluff Trail Information

This easy trail winds through coastal grasslands and bluffs.

Watch for:

Whales and dolphins are often visible from this trail in the spring and late fall.

Hiking Details for Ohlone Bluff Trail

Distance: 10 miles round trip

Elevation change: Mostly flat

Hiking time: 4 – 5 hours

Trail surface: Packed dirt

Best season: All year

Managing agency: CA State Parks

Parking lot location: Click here for directions

Great for both hikers and bikers, this coastal path offers stunning views of cliffs. You’ll also see rocky outcroppings studded with sea lions, secluded beaches and more. Keep watch for seagulls, pelicans and cormorants atop the rock formations.

While the trail sometimes veers inland toward farmland, it ultimately returns to the coastline. You can shorten this lengthy walk at several turnaround points, like 4 Mile Beach or Strawberry Beach. The trail is level and easy to navigate, making it ideal for hikers of diverse ages and abilities.

Located five minutes from Santa Cruz, Wilder Ranch State Park offers a diverse array of landscapes and trails. This includes the well-preserved historic buildings at Wilder Ranch itself. If you’re a history buff, check out exhibits highlighting the late 19th-century dairy ranch!

 

Directions to Ohlone Bluff Trail

The park is north of Santa Cruz, immediately west of Highway One, just a mile or so past the Western Drive stoplight. The trailhead is just off the parking lot.

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