Henry Cowell State Park: Redwood Grove Loop Trail

When asking my patients, coworkers, and landlords the #1 thing to do in Santa Cruz, the Redwood Grove Loop Trail in Henry Cowell State Park was frequently mentioned. This state park is just north of Santa Cruz in a small town called Felton. You will enter this park, pay the entrance fee (bring cash!) and park in the parking lot near the visitors center. This breathtaking, 1 mile easy loop trail highlights the tallest trees in the world.

When walking through the park, the monster-tall trees will strain your neck (and your eyes!) as you try to spot the top! Grab the pamphlet at the start of the trail to give you more insight into the particular trees that you should pay attention to. The tallest tree is 277 feet tall and is approximately 1500 years old. Another notable tree is called the Fremont tree, which is where explorer John C. Fremont camped in 1848. Go inside this tree just to feel how big it is!

One of my friends in Santa Cruz told me to search for the albino tree… when one of my college besties, Amelia, visited me, we went on the hike and thought we had found it. To be sure, I would ask the park ranger about where it is on the trail.