In brief:
4.5 mile loop through redwoods and chaparral.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 4.5 mile loop hike is easy, with about 830 feet in elevation change. Trail elevations ranges from just below 100 feet to 800 feet (some parts of the park top out at over 1000 feet, but there are no trails through those areas). The featured hike begins at about 270 feet, drops slightly, climbs to 800 feet, then descends back to the trailhead.

Exposure:
Mostly shaded.

Trail traffic:
Moderate-heavy.

Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails and fire roads.

Hiking time:
2 1/2 hours.

Season:
Nice any time.

Getting there:

From CA 17 in Santa Cruz County, exit Mt. Hermon Road. Drive northwest on Mt. Hermon Road through Scotts Valley to the end of the road in Felton (about 3.5 miles). Turn right onto Graham Hill Road, get into the left lane, and turn left onto CA 9. Drive about 0.5 mile south on CA 9, then turn left into the signed park entrance road. Drive about 0.5 mile to the entrance kiosk, then continue straight 0.1 mile to the main parking lot, at the end of the road.

GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude 37° 2'24.18"N
Longitude 122° 3'48.08"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)

Gas, food, and lodging:
Restaurants, stores, and gas in Felton. The park has a nice campground that accomodates tents and RVs.

Trailhead details:
$10 entrance fee. $2 for a park map. Lots of parking in a paved lot. Some free parking on the side of CA 9 near the park entrance -- but it's about 0.5 mile from there to the trailhead. Drinking water and restrooms at the edge of the parking lot. There are designated handicapped parking spots, and Redwood Grove Loop Trail is wheelchair accessible. Metro bus #31 stops at the campground entrance, and #35 services Felton, but no bus stops at the park entrance.

Rules:
The park has a complicated set of rules, but following them is easy, since they're posted on the map and on trail signs throughout the park. Some trails (fire roads) are multi-use, others are open to hikers and equestrians, and a few are hiking only. Dogs are not permitted on every trail described in the following hike. They are permitted on leash only, on three trails: Pipeline Road, Meadow Trail, and Graham Hill Trail. For day use, the park is open during daylight hours only (generally dawn to dusk).

The Official Story:
CSP's Henry Cowell page
Park office 831-335-4598
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow-gauge Railroad

Map Choices:

This hike is described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order this book from Amazon.com.
• Download the park map pdf from CSP's website.
• Dave Baselt's San Lorenzo Valley map is an excellent guide to Henry Cowell and surrounding parklands (order from Redwood Hikes).
• Trails of Santa Cruz, by Pease Press (order from Pease Press) shows Henry Cowell trails in great detail.


Henry Cowell in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.




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