Waddell Beach is a wild stretch of
surf eighteen miles north of Santa Cruz on Highway One. I was driving to San
Francisco from L. A. when the rust colored meadow with its muted mauve and
lavender grasses lacing the winding sea-bound creek called to me. Flashes of
ducks, geese, and other shorebirds stirred my birding instincts. I yearned to
know the valley that stretches from the beach into the redwood basin better, so
when I visited friends in nearby Felton during the holidays, I asked them to share
this
treasure.
Rancho Del Oso Nature Preserve turned
out to be a local favorite. An easy, wide trail winds through beach, marsh,
stream, and a riparian corridor. Self-guided trail maps can be easily obtained
at the nature center about a half-mile into the park. Guided walks are provided
on the weekends by docents. A horse camp is available for equestrians who bring
their own mounts. Along with the equestrian trails in the park are trails for
hikers and bikers. Monterey pines, mixed woodland, redwoods, coastal scrub, and
mountain chaparral create a collage of color and shapes fringing the broad
meadow of the Theodore Hoover National Preserve bordering Waddell Beach Park.
Most hikers are content to take the
lower trail from the beach up to Berry Creek Falls, felt by many to be the most
beautiful falls in all of the Santa Cruz Parks. Across from the falls is a
platform with benches affording fine views and a good place to picnic. The
clever hiker can have a friend drop them off at the Park Headquarters at the
top of Big Basin and hike about five hours down to Waddell Beach. An afternoon
bus from Waddell Beach returns to Santa Cruz. Be sure to check times and
schedules before making that commitment. The ambitious hiker may take the
Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail thirteen miles to the top of the basin and enjoy
extravagant vistas. Big Basin is California’s oldest state park, established in
1902 to save the ancient redwood forests. The park has grown to more than
18,000 acres with more than 80 miles of trails passing among streams,
waterfalls, and old-growth redwoods.
Redwoods were heavily logged in the
basin by William Waddell from 1867 to 1875. Logging stopped when he was killed
by a grizzly bear, and the valley became known as the canyon of the bear.
Grizzly bears have not been seen in the area since the 1920s. In 1913 Theodore
Hoover was able to buy much of Waddell Creek watershed. His Rancho Del Oso
encompassed about 3,000 acres, reaching from the ocean to the boundary of Big
Basin Redwoods State Park.
Since that time, five generations of his
family have lived here. There are still private family homes bordering the
parkland. I felt a twinge of envy as we strolled past the neatly trimmed
redwood homesteads of his descendants. The sun was smiling on their meadow
bright with yellow wildflowers, dotted with persimmon trees heavy with orange
globe. Neat rows of purple cabbage and a variety of lettuces fanned across the
foothills. A thick hedge of berry bush brambles surrounded the fields to keep
the deer and wild pigs from harvesting the crops.
We crossed a wooden bridge and walked
beside Waddell Creek where the remains of a cement weir are used in the
biological study of fish. During spring and winter months you may see mature
steelhead and salmon in deep pools. President Hoover, an enthusiastic angler,
fished here when he visited his brother. As a state park, the stream is now
closed to fishing.
When we entered the deep redwood
forest, the temperature dropped ten degrees. The cool breath of the towering
monsters felt like a deep drink of soothing water. Lacy ferns nestle at the
base of the trees ensconced in brilliant green moss. A gauze of Spanish moss
draped the upper limbs of the evergreens. Warblers flashed through the still
forest, illuminated by beams of light streaming through the protective arms
overhead. I strained to see the birds I heard chirping. A kingfisher, a red-tailed
hawk fat from easy pickings, and the flash of a stellar jay were all I could
see.
As we were leaving, a wedge of
pelican came in for a splash landing in the estuary. Curlew poked for treats in
the mud at low tide. I wanted to stay longer to explore quietly on my own, but
the fog was rolling in and it was time to go. I vowed to return to see the
wildflowers in the spring and feel the cool forests in the summer. The
constantly changing panorama of this natural wonderland is so varied it demands
that the hiker come back for more.
Rancho
del Oso Nature and History Center is within the coastal section of Big Basin
Redwoods State ParkYou
may park at Waddell Beach Park across from the trail head to Rancho Del Oso. There
is parking on the surf side of the Highway. You can explore the wetlands, rocky
tide pools, or hike anytime of the year.
Guided nature walks at the Rancho Del
Oso Nature Center 831-427-2288
This a list of the hike options at
Rancho Del Oso http://bit.ly/2jbSraL
Big Basin Redwood State Park
Headquarters, where the Skyline-to Sea-Hike begins, is hosts to numerous trails
spiraling throughout the redwood forest. There is also a nature museum with
stuffed animal, bird, and inspect specimens on display.
Big Basin Headquarters http://bit.ly/2ikWjlB
21600 Big Basin Way in Boulder Creek
831-338-8860
Boulder Creek, a charming village
nearby Park Headquarters is a good place to stay.
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from Los Angeles to the Lost Coast in Lost Angel in Paradise. Available in print and e-book format.
