Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail

At the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains above Saratoga, where Highway 9 intersects Skyline Boulevard, is the beginning of 30-miles of magic called the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. Traveling the trail, you’ll experience the incredible diversity of nature as the peaks meet the Pacific. One of the organization’s proudest achievements, Sempervirens Fund began creating the trail in 1969 and partnered over the years with California State Parks, local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, and volunteers from many trail organizations. The route was officially named the “Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail” – and lived up to its name – when Sempervirens Fund preserved part of the Hoover Ranch that extended the trail to the sea at Waddell Beach in 1976. Now, the trail descends from the ridgetop vistas through meadows, crags and forests of Castle Rock State Park, then weaves through old-growth redwood forest, creeks and waterfalls in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and finishes at the Pacific Ocean at Waddell State Beach with trailside campsites along the way.

Whether you hike just part of the trail or venture from the skyline to the sea, your time on the trail will help you experience the magnificence of coast redwood forests and the importance of protecting, restoring, and connecting the wildlands of the Santa Cruz Mountains for you, wildlife, and future generations to enjoy forever.

In August and September 2020, the CZU Lightening Fire Complex burned more than 86,000 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is one of the many parks that has been affected. Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is currently closed due to damage caused by the CZU Lightning Complex Fires until further notice. Sempervirens Fund is working with California State Parks to help support the immediate and long-term needs of the Park. You can read more about redwoods recovery and restoration here and throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains.