Sweet Spot in the Santa Cruz Redwoods 10 minutes from the Ocean

Our charming studio is nestled in a majestic redwood forest with a year-round creek flowing through the property. Leave the windows open at night and you will smell the sweet scent of the forest and hear the owls in the trees. Go outside and look up for most summer nights we have beautiful, starry skies. One of 4 cabins on the property, this cabin is small and yet has what you need after a day of exploring all Santa Cruz has to offer. To end the day, may I suggest a good novel by the creek or a nap in the sun.

This sacred land of coastal redwoods and an ancient creek is our family property and your nature vacation dream. When your neighbors are Christmas tree farms and retreat spaces you know you've landed someplace gorgeous.

We acknowledge that this land, these trees and this creek that we steward, is the sacred land of native peoples to whom this land originally belonged. This is Ohlone land and the Ohlone people are still here in this community. We stand in solidarity with all indigenous people and their right to self-determination and justice.

Enjoy our complimentary cable TV with Netflix, Hulu and Prime in a comfortable queen bed. With so much beach and mountain fun, enjoy the hot shower, a good nights sleep and hot coffee in the morning. Our spaces are small but have everything you need.

From the property, turn left to world renowned mountain biking trails at the Soquel Demonstration Forest. Stop by Summit Market for a delicious lunch where you can watch hawks soar from their patio eating the best tri-tip sandwich in town.

From the property, turn right and head down the hill towards Capitola beach. Capitola Village is home to diverse restaurants, coffee shops, and boutique shopping. This cabin is the perfect location to explore Santa Cruz beaches, mountains and culture or just to get away from it all and relax.

We hope you enjoy your private cabin with a full bathroom and shower, your private patio right outside your front door and your shared deck with patio set. Walk through our large wooden gate at the top of the property and 1 minute down the hill to a sweet creek beach on the bubbly Soquel Creek.

The Santa Cruz Mountains surround our quaint small cabin on our large wooded property. This cabin is the perfect location to explore Santa Cruz beaches, mountains and culture or just to get away from it all and relax.

This quintessential California beach town is a mecca for surfers and sun-worshippers, but also has something for everyone. Families love visiting the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, while nature lovers appreciate the area's many unspoiled beaches.

Santa Cruz is a popular place for summertime recreation, from volleyball to boating and hiking. The breathtaking scenery and refreshing sea breezes make this stretch of California's Central Coast especially appealing.

HIKING

There’s a lot to love about Santa Cruz but perhaps one of the biggest draws to this coastal town is just how much nature there is to explore within the county.

The great thing about the hiking trails in Santa Cruz is how different they are from each other. You could be hiking along a windswept coastal trail one minute and then be in the midst of a redwood forest in just a 20-minute drive.

Since Santa Cruz County takes up a relatively small area, it's amazing how diverse it is and how many different types of hikes you can find within its county lines.

You can expect to find old-growth redwoods, enchanted forests, waterfalls, and some breathtaking scenic views on the California Coast.

Coast redwood trees are the tallest trees on the planet. They can grow to 300 feet high or more, as compared to the tallest pine tree at 268 feet or the tallest tanoak at 162 feet.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

While surfing may have first put Santa Cruz on the map, there’s a landlocked sport that’s been gaining traction and attracting international attention over the last couple decades. The epicenter of mountain biking sits right here in “Surf City” with year-round riding conditions and world-class trails just minutes from the property.

Our area has phenomenal Mountain biking. Head up Old San Jose and turn right on Summit. About a mile down on the right you with find the Demo.

The Soquel Demonstration Forest, also known as "Demo," is home to a series of mountain biking trails. Many of the singletrack trails course down ridges, largely on old logging road cuts created when the forest was first logged beginning in the 1930s. These routes were adopted as part of the recreational trail network when Cal Fire acquired the property in the early 1990s. Additional singletrack trails were established through Cal Fire's collaborations with local mountain biking clubs in 2000 (Braille Trail) and 2015 (Flow Trail). The trails have grown into some of the most popular in the California Bay Area and attract bikers from around the world.

Haven't had enough at the Demo then head down the hill from our place and hop on the 1 Highway south a few exits to Nisene Marks.

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is a state park of California protecting a secondary forest in the watershed of Aptos Creek and Soquel Creek within the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is located outside Aptos, California and contains over 40 miles of hiking trails and fire roads through 10,223 acres of variable terrain.

The park is a popular spot for running, hiking, and horseback riding. Additionally, it is a common location for mountain biking, which can be done on several trails including the Aptos Rancho Trail, Split Stuff Trail, Terrace Trail, and Vienna Woods Trail

SURFING

Santa Cruz is one of the top surfing destinations in California. Situated 85 minutes drive out of San Fransisco, the city of Santa Cruz boasts some beautiful coastline that is well worthy of a visit, especially if you are a surfer.

The area is known for its moderate climate and beach going, alternative lifestyles. Nicknamed Surf City, Santa Cruz has 11 world-class surf breaks that are really worth checking out including point breaks over Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, which it could be argued are some of the best surfing waves in the world.

With waves that are suited to all levels of surfer, Santa Cruz has something for everyone, from those that have never stepped foot on a surfboard to those who have devoted their entire lives to riding waves. Of course, with some of the biggest waves, visitors who are not familiar with some of the more fierce swells should take some time to familiarize themselves with the more dangerous spots before they start surfing Santa Cruz..

Other Santa Cruz Surf Spots
If you take a short drive up on Highway 1, you’ll come across lots of hidden surfing gems that are often breaking such as Ano Neubo or Waddle Creek State Beach. These more secluded spots are a bit off the beaten path and as such you’ll find them to be less crowded than the major beaches closer to the city. If you want a more chilled out feel to your days surfing Santa Cruz, this route may be the way to go.

Surfboard Hire in Santa Cruz

Westside Surf & Skate is the best place in Santa Cruz to fulfil all your surf-related needs.

Cowells Surf Shop Santa Cruz
also offers a good selection of board rentals. A full day hire will set you back $30. They have a wide selection of beginner boards from 5 ft.-11 ft. foam logs to NSP epoxy’s to fiberglass boards. There are also some higher performance boards available to rent for an extra $5 a day.

The Forest Cabins have 2 foam logs (boards) and 4 boogie boards that our guests are invited to borrow. Also available to borrow are beach chairs, beach towels, sunscreen and beach umbrellas.

SEALIFE

As part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, sea life is abundant in and around Santa Cruz County. Throughout the year it is possible to see sightings of common porpoises, humpback whales, sea lions, seals, and the ever-present sea otters. Seen from the deck of a sailboat, in the seat of a kayak, on a sixty-foot catamaran, or by land, there are a multitude of ways to watch marine life play in this watery world. Welcome aboard.

Sealife Viewing
December-April: Gray Whales. Peak viewing is from mid-January through mid-March.

Summer and Fall: Blue Whales, Humpbacks (although in the past few years, Humpbacks are proving to be year-round in the Monterey Bay)

Year-Round: Orcas. The best time to view is April as they follow the migration pattern of Gray Whales.

Other marine animals you may spot: Blue Shark, Great White Sharks, Sun Fish, Common and Risso’s Dolphins, Sea Otters.