A hidden gem for bikers and hikers
Maybe the “10-mile Bubble Rule” is in full force at Wilder Ranch. Maybe it’s the name and first sighting of a farmhouse and barns that doesn’t exactly conjure up the vision of worldclass mountain biking, blufftop walks and spectacular ocean views — or a park with 7,000 acres that spans from the coastal cliffs to inland ridges.
Regardless, Wilder Ranch State Park might have the best mountain biking of any state park in California. The walks and ocean views are stellar. Yet many outside of 10 miles have not been there, and some haven’t even heard of it.
For those in the Bay Area, two of every three trips for recreation are within 10 miles of home, according to several park studies, hence the “10Mile Bubble Rule.” The third trip is as apt to be Yosemite, Tahoe or Big Sur as anywhere. For many, that leaves Wilder Ranch off the mental radar.
Wilder Ranch is located on the coast just outside of Santa Cruz, 45 miles south of Half Moon Bay, 73 miles from San Francisco. The weather has been spectacular this week, sunny and pleasant, with a forecast Saturday for clear skies, 75 degrees and light winds.
When you drive in off Highway 1, the feeling you get isn’t exactly an unrepeatable thrill of anticipation. From the parking lot, a main path leads to a Victorian house and the grounds of an old dairy. This historical operation is how the park gets its name.
The old dairy farm is not the end, it turns out, but rather your launching pad.
The paths lead into the foothills and rise across a series of terraces, climbs and flats that are spaced just right so you can catch your breath. That allows you to rise for sweeping ocean views without feeling like you’re hitting a wall.
To start, glide the short distance down to the Wilder Dairy farmhouse. At the Wilder Dairy, walk your bike through the grounds, the Victorian House and workshops on your left, the horse barn and cow barn on your right. Just beyond is a path that leads through a tunnel under Highway 1 and to an expanse of miles of wildlands.
Just ahead, the network of old ranch roads and trails is like the solar system: they seem to reach to infinity. The reality is close to that. The routes cover a mosaic of 34 miles from which you can match a ride to your level of fitness. The routes extend inland to Empire Grade, the road that runs past the UC Santa Cruz campus.
When you emerge from the subway under Highway 1, you quickly arrive at a fork. What I do is turn left at the fork on the Wilder Ridge Loop. Ahead, the once-submerged, ancient marine terraces create a series of rises and flats that makes the climbs rhythmic and fun.
On the Wilder Ridge Loop, it is a 500-foot climb over 1.6 miles to a short spur on the left to a sensational lookout across Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This is a must-do. From here, you then can self-style your trip on any number of routes.
Before you venture from headquarters, make sure you pick up the map/brochure. Bring a trail picnic and water. Also, remember this: Bikes give way to hikers and equestrians; hikers give way to horses. If you meet other trail users, why not just stop, smile, and take a moment to enjoy the view? After all, we all want the same thing.
The best walk, which can be turned into a hike, is the Ohlone Bluff Trail. From the parking area, a dirt path extends to the cliffs that overlook the ocean. That provides access to the Ohlone Bluff Trail that runs along 4 miles of coastal bluffs.
The first cove is set against Sand Plant Beach. Don’t be too quick to leave it behind. In the fall, I’ve seen sea otters in this cove several times. Bring binoculars.
You then venture north. The trail traces along the cliff tops, with a few short jogs inland to get around rises and a ravine. You pass Strawberry Beach, 3 Mile Beach and to a big cove at 4 Mile Beach. In the process, you can look across the ocean, into protected coves. The coast here is peppered with stacks and outcrops. Spectacular.
On a clear day, this is one of the best easy walks with ocean views on the Pacific Coast.
The park is named “Wilder Ranch” not because it is wild, but rather that is the name of the family that worked the land and lived there from the 1870s to 1969. A ranger told me it was shut down when the farm income wasn’t enough to pay the property taxes.
The property seems suspended in time. The Victorian House and Old Farmhouse are the prime attractions at the old homestead. The outbuildings include the Granary, barns for horses and cows, and a series of sheds.
Some visitors will poke their heads in to the barns and sheds, try to imagine life on a dairy farm, then head off.
They know that a great mountain bike trek or hike awaits nearby.