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Wilder Ranch State Park Description

This huge and unique state park, encompassing 34 acres of beach, marshland, and grassy hillside, is just a mile north of town yet seems worlds and centuries away. Once one of the area's original ranch homesteads, Wilder Ranch is the perfect place to give kids a sense of California's farming history. Docents dressed in historic costumes lead tours and demonstrate farm chores using antique tools and implements still housed on the ranch. Five generations of the Wilder family worked the land and ran a creamery here, and many of the original buildings, including a Victorian farmhouse and historic adobe, are still here. The beach, which is used as a nesting ground by snowy plovers, is closed to the public to protect the nests, but there are miles of hiking and biking trails with dramatic cliffside views, and the marshes are open and extremely popular with birdwatchers. Be sure to check out our other Santa Cruz vacation ideas.

Planning Notes

Call (831) 426-0505 for information about docent-led tours. Wilder Ranch, supported by a foundation dedicated to preserving local history, offers many special kids' programs including tours, living history days, and nature walks. Call before you plan your visit to take advantage of these educational programs.

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