Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Park

Address: 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA 95018

Website: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=548

Hours: Daily 8:00am-sunset (day-use)

Admission: Day-use parking fee $10 per vehicle (subject to change)

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a California state park in Santa Cruz County that protects coast redwood forest and adjacent mixed woodland. The park includes a well-known old-growth redwood grove and extensive trail networks.

Visitors come to walk through the preserved old-growth redwood grove, hike riverside and forest trails, camp at park campgrounds and join interpretive programs. The park’s boardwalks and trails provide easy access to large redwoods and riparian scenery along nearby waterways.

The park was created to conserve remnant old-growth coast redwoods and surrounding lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains; management has combined preservation of key redwood stands with visitor facilities and trail maintenance. The park bears the name of Henry Cowell and includes multiple management units.

The park is located in Santa Cruz County near the community of Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains, inland from the central California coast. It is part of the regional system of redwood and mountain parks in the county.

• Old-growth redwoods and recreation: Protects an accessible old-growth grove of coast redwoods near the community of Felton and offers hiking, camping and interpretive programs.

What to See#

• Redwood Grove: The Redwood Grove features an old-growth stand of coast redwoods with interpretive trails and boardwalks that allow close views of large trees and root systems.
• Trail networks and Fall Creek unit: The park includes upstream river trails and a second unit around Fall Creek, offering mixed forest, campgrounds and trail networks.

From Santa Cruz: take Highway 17 north to CA‑9 (north) toward Felton. Turn left on Graham Hill Road and follow signs to North Big Trees Park Road; the main parking lot and visitor center are at 101 N Big Trees Park Road (about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Santa Cruz). From San Jose or points north, take Highway 17 south and exit on CA‑9 toward Felton.

• Enter from Highway 9 at Felton and park at the main lot on North Big Trees Park Road - the Grove trailhead is a five-minute walk from the lot.
• Walk the Redwood Grove Loop early morning to avoid crowds and hear the river; bring a jacket - the canopy keeps it cool even in summer.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton if one wants to add history and steam to the day.
• Don't miss the interpretive signs near the grove that point out fire scars and coppiced stumps - human history is written in the wood.