Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Northern California that separate the Pacific coast from the Santa Clara Valley and San Francisco Peninsula; their highest point is Loma Prieta at 3,786 feet (1,154 metres). The range forms a largely continuous forested ridge with numerous parks and protected areas.

Recreational attractions include old-growth redwood groves in parks such as Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, extensive hiking and mountain-biking trails, and scenic driving along Skyline Boulevard (State Route 35). Vineyards and small communities occupy many of the lower slopes.

The San Andreas Fault runs along or near the range, and the area was the epicentre for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused significant regional damage. The mountains therefore have both geological and ecological significance.

Geographically the range runs roughly northwest-southeast between the San Francisco Peninsula and the Monterey Bay area, forming the spine of Santa Cruz County and parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

• Seismic history: The range straddles the San Andreas Fault and was the focus of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, an event of major regional impact.
• Habitat zones: Higher elevations support redwood and mixed-conifer forests while lower slopes include oak woodlands and suburban development, so habitats change rapidly with elevation.

What to See#

• Loma Prieta: Loma Prieta is the range’s highest summit at 3,786 feet (1,154 metres) and was the epicentral area for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
• Big Basin Redwoods State Park: Big Basin Redwoods State Park preserves extensive old-growth redwood groves and numerous hiking trails in the western slopes of the range.
• Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park conserves tall redwoods and provides accessible trails closer to the Santa Cruz city area.

The Santa Cruz Mountains run along the San Francisco Peninsula south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. From downtown San Jose the quickest driving route to the heart of the range is usually via CA-17 south into the mountains toward Santa Cruz (approximately 20 miles / ~32 km to Santa Cruz city), or use Skyline Boulevard (CA-35) and Highway 9 for scenic ridge-top access and trailheads.

From San Francisco or Silicon Valley take US‑101 or I‑280 to connect to CA‑92/CA‑84 or CA‑35 depending on your chosen trailhead; popular access roads include CA‑17, CA‑9 and Skyline Boulevard (CA‑35). Many trailheads and park entrances have small parking areas and short walks (from a few minutes up to an hour) to major summits and viewpoints.

• Use Skyline Boulevard (State Route 35) to access ridge viewpoints and lesser‑used trailheads-this route links many scenic turnouts and is often clearer than valley roads on foggy mornings.
• Visit early in the day for the best coastal views and to avoid the heavier weekend recreation traffic that builds later, especially near big redwood groves and popular state parks.
• Explore smaller preserves off the main highways (look for parking at designated trailheads rather than roadside pullouts) to find quieter redwood stands and fewer visitors.
• If you want wine country without the biggest crowds, head to the southern foothills rather than the immediate Santa Cruz-Capitola corridor-local tasting rooms tend to be less busy midweek.