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Editor’s note: We formulated this bucket list well before the tragic results of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. This is not yet the time to re-engage in some of these awesome outdoor escapes. But, we hope and pray, soon.
Much of the Bay Area is an outdoor mecca, but Santa Cruz is kinda The Outdoor Mecca.
Yes, those lucky enough to reside in the 831 can get pretty smug about it.
But it’s amazing not to have to leave the area — or travel more than five miles in any one direction — to immerse yourself in nature and indulge in whatever type of mellow or challenging activity appeals that day. Here are five possibilities.
Single-track mind
Mountain bike Wilder Ranch: Since Covid-19 shut down our indoor hobbies, the mountain bike industry has been booming. “One hundred percent busier” than this time a year ago, said one Westside bike shop employee. “Our industry has never seen a boom like this,” said another.
What that means for those looking to rent a bike: Book it early. At shops that haven’t sold off their rental fleets due to backlogs on new bikes, $40/day will get you a traditional hardtail; $80 gets you full suspension or an e-bike. Those eMTBs are the new rage. No longer are human legs limited by human limitations — and the handling has greatly improved.
Wilder Ranch’s 7,000 acres are dotted with trails that dip below meadows and end up on coastal bluffs overlooking hidden caves and deserted beaches. Check for info and a trail map by searching Wilder Ranch at parks.ca.gov, and off you go.
Other top beginner-friendly trails: The Emma McCrary Trail (EMT) in the Pogonip, DeLaveaga Park and parts of Henry Cowell and Nisene Marks.
Get in the water!
Learn to surf at Cowell Beach: Unsurprisingly, surf lessons have also become a COVID hot commodity. “It’s crazy — we’re nonstop, up 125 percent for sure,” said one instructor with Club Ed Surf School and Camps. Which is why we tell you this first: If you have a friend who is patient and zen enough to teach you to surf, you have a friend for life.
There are many details, from wetsuit fit and water fitness to — most importantly — wave reading and surf etiquette. There is so much to learn about the surf environment and about safely paddling and navigating your big foamie craft around other wave-hungry humans before you ever get to the surfing part.
Club Ed and Richard Schmidt Surf School are the most veteran operations.
Trails for days
Hike the Forest of Nisene Marks: One of the crown jewels of Santa Cruz flora lies just off State Park Drive in Aptos. Nisene, a second-growth redwood forest that was clearcut in the early 1900s, has plenty to offer, from the 1.4-mile Old-Growth Loop to the 15-mile there-and-back to Five Fingers Falls.
Not-so-fun fact: The devastating Loma Prieta earthquake’s epicenter in 1989 was located here along the Aptos Creek Trail. Tread lightly!
Climb a redwood
Do a canopy tour in Felton: COVID is keeping the full zipline eco-adventures from happening for now. But there is still a fun mid-air walk to be had among the redwoods via Mount Hermon Adventures and its Sequoia Aerial Adventure. Rope and timber obstacles are suspended between towering trees, and a few optional zipline elements add to the thrills.
The two-hour tours ($80) send you 80 feet above the forest floor. Embrace your inner Ewok and do it.
Set sail
Anchors aweigh on the Chardonnay: You don’t need your own grand yacht (or dinghy) to take to the waves. The Chardonnay II, a 70-foot sailing yacht, hosts sunset sails from Santa Cruz harbor each week. Enjoy wine, beer, sodas and light bites as you socially distance on deck and take in the fresh ocean breezes and rosy hues just outside the breakwater.
Chardonnay Charters does themed outings, too, including sails with winemakers or brewmasters aboard. The sunset sails run $38.50 for kids and $68 for adults, and you’ll need reservations; www.chardonnay.com.
The runners-up
- Fishing via Stagnaro Charters out of Santa Cruz Harbor
- Low-tide walk/run on the beach from Capitola to Pleasure Point
- Take a run/walk along West Cliff Drive
- Rent a kayak or SUP and explore Santa Cruz Harbor and areas nearby
