Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park protects more than 4,650 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Felton, centered on a 40-acre old-growth redwood grove where the tallest trees approach 280 feet and the oldest exceed 1,500 years. The park also encompasses the rare sandhills habitat, a riparian zone along the San Lorenzo River, and the separate Fall Creek Unit -- a quieter second-growth forest about 2 miles away with 20 miles of its own trails.
Details
- 🏞️Type
- State Park
- 🏛️Managed by
- California State Parks
- 📍State
- CA
- 🗺️Address
- Scotts Valley, CA, 95060
- 📞Phone
- (831) 335-4598
- 🕐Hours
- Park Hours: Sunrise to Sunset Visitor Center: Everyday 10am-4pm Mountain Parks Foundation Nature Store: 11am-5pm
- 📐Area
- 4,650 acres
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- Yes
- 📡GPS
- 37.07762, -122.11748
The Place
Four distinct habitats make this park more ecologically diverse than its famous grove suggests: the old-growth redwoods, the sandhills (ancient marine terrace deposits supporting rare flora found nowhere else), the San Lorenzo River corridor, and mixed evergreen forest. The Fall Creek Unit, reached by a short drive, has roughly 20 miles of trails through second-growth redwood and limestone-laced creek drainages with essentially no crowds.
When to Go
Year-round, but spring and fall are most pleasant. Summer weekends are busy, especially at the Garden of Eden swimming hole on the San Lorenzo River. The old-growth grove draws visitors in every season; fall and winter offer the most solitude. Campground reservations are recommended from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Getting There
From Highway 17, take the Mount Hermon Road exit and follow to Graham Hill Road. The day-use entrance (Visitor Center and old-growth grove) is off Highway 9 in Felton, about 2 miles south of the Graham Hill/Hwy 9 intersection. The campground is on Graham Hill Road. The Fall Creek Unit trailhead is also off Graham Hill Road, about 0.5 miles east of the Hwy 17 exit. Garden of Eden: park at the Ox Fire Road Trailhead on Hwy 9, 0.75 miles south of the main day-use entrance.
What to Do
The paved Redwood Grove Loop Trail (0.8 miles, flat) is the park's signature walk through old-growth. Bikes are permitted on Pipeline Road, Rincon Fire Road, and Powder Mill Fire Road. Swimming at the Garden of Eden on the San Lorenzo River is the top summer activity -- a deep-pooled stretch reached by a 0.75-mile trail from Hwy 9. Fishing for steelhead trout is possible in the San Lorenzo in winter. The campground has 107 sites with picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, and showers.
Reservations & Fees
Day use: $10/vehicle. Camping: approximately $35/night; reserve at reservecalifornia.com. Dogs on leash are allowed in the campground, picnic areas, and on Meadow Trail, Pipeline Road, Graham Hill Trail, and Powder Mill Fire Road -- but NOT on the Redwood Grove Loop Trail or anywhere in the Fall Creek Unit.