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Very easy hike just off of UCSC. Sad to see trash on the trails. The koi fish were very cool to see
Pogonip was worth the trip. We entered from the UCSC trailhead parked up above at the university parking and walked along the road to enter the trail. It was easy hiking and absolutely beautiful. The koi fish were the bonus for sure! Everyone we encountered on the trail was kind and considerate.
A very kind local resident of Santa Cruz recommended Pogonip to us and we are so happy that he did! It's a really great spot for a hike and provides just the right amount of dosage for a nature buzz. This gem is clean, trails are well marked, largely shaded, and lots of other hikers are on the go. Definitely kid friendly and all pets are welcomed. Low activity on bugs and other critters. Really cool stops to sight see. P.S. look for the hidden Koi Fish pond! Truly, a nice great after you get about 3 miles in.
Came here for a hike yesterday based on the ratings and regretted it. Parking was a challenge but that's fine. The issue was we found needles, bottles, and a lot of other junk on the trails. Well, the issue mainly the needles...imagine a dog or a child picking that up. The location is great but please be cautious.
Nice place for a walk or a light hike in Santa Cruz. It's free and there are a few places to enter. I went up spring street and parked in the neighborhood. There's a nice trail that is wide and good for walking dogs or running too. Lots of nice redwood trees and when it's clear you can see the bay. There are no bathrooms.
I finally checked out Pogonip (POGOnip) after seeing on IG that there is a koi pond in the park. That is so cool! We parked FREE at Harvey West Park because they have flushed toilets there and it's easy to walk into Pogonip from there. We did the Lookout Trail and didn't look behind us until we got to the end of the trail, oops. But we did turn around and could see a far away view of the Pacific Ocean. Then we did the Spring Trail to Fern Trail, then we did the Lime Kiln Trail to see the Limekilns (I think this was on Spring Box Trail actually) and the strange rock arts. Koi Pond is on Spring Box Trail/Lime Kiln Trail - it's a bit off the trail, you'll see a creek just follow it down. It's a small, square box with koi in the pond. I can't believe they can survive there. We walked up to the gate into Henry Cowell Redwoods SP, then down Fern Trail. Some website said there's heroin dealers on Fern Trail and trails North but we didn't see any. We saw the Ranger Station (think abandoned), the Clubhouse is a old, closed and fenced off building, behind it is a sign to read more about it. Someone told me it was in the movie "The Lost Boys" aka Grandpa's House. We did the Nature Loop trail - it's nothing special. On the way back to Harvey West Park I saw a guy with a box of marijuana (I think) he might be a seller, not sure. Scary stuff! Then back to car. I think we did about 8 miles. Took us from 9:25am - 3:30pm. Close to Costco and Downtown Santa Cruz so you can get food and drinks afterwards.
This is probably one of the best places close to town to get away. Pogonip has a long history. Once was a ranch then a country club, now its a city park. The trails are well maintained and east flow to follow. if you go in the early morning or evening you will surely see wildlife like Bobcats, Coyote, ground varments and even a nesting Bald Eagle. This park is totally free but you have to get creative with parking. Park on Hwy 9 and walk in or Uber from downtown. The park is the home to one of the best routes into the Santa Cruz mountains on a mountain bike. The Emma McCary Trail, its a multi-purpose trail but don't hike it, It gets heavy bike traffic. Again, parking is bad, ride your bike on the levee from ample parking and beer downtown. All year is great to ride except on heavy rainy days.
The pogonip forest is amazing. A true treasure, I love the fact that Mother Nature provides this amazing forest.
What an awesome place to hike!! I came here last week with the bf hoping for an adventure. Considering it was our first time at Pogonip, we did brief research on what to expect. To start, parking is very limited but our mid week visit provided plenty of parking (but there are other sites you can park at and walk into Pogonip). We anticipated on finding the rock labyrinth, koi pond and lime kilns. And it's a good idea to keep a map on hand! I would recommend once you enter at Golf Club Drive gate, continue to walk up that road. We initially walked to the right but encountered a small homeless encampment and a few transients walking around. But beyond that, just hike around and enjoy the surroundings!! We hiked about 7 miles. We encountered the club house which was in The Lost Boys film (OMG! so cool), the historical lime kiln, a rock garden (that was unexpected and spooky at first; think Blair Witch), koi pond, rock labyrinth and a beautiful view of the boardwalk and coast! At this point of the hike, a map came in handy because we didn't want to back track to the car. So we found a trail that looped us back to the main road. Overall, Pogonip has great trails and history. I will definitely be hiking here again!
One of the five entrances to the Pogonip system of trails is right around the corner from my office, so lunchtime here on a nice day the trails fill with my coworkers out getting their jog on. For a while I came here about twice a week (current winter weather = increased laziness), and even though there aren't enough different combinations of trails to totally mix it up, I was still loving every minute in this gorgeous spot. I mean, do views of Monterey Bay and perfectly tranquil paths through redwood groves ever get old? There are about eight miles of trails, most of the giant redwood/ shaded ferns variety, but a couple of the loops take you out to wide open fields. Spring Trail is particularly flat and wide, making it a perfect place to get off the treadmill and do some real running, while the Pogonip Nature Loop gives you all that is perfect about Santa Cruz in a neat little hike you can crank out on a lunch break.
A nice local hiking spot! It's a fairly large park right by downtown Santa Cruz and UCSC that opens up to a hill where you can overlook most of Santa Cruz (all the way to the ocean!) There are some sketchier, dilapidated trails (don't take the Lower Meadow Trail, esp. at night). The Clubhouse sounds nice but is just a half broken down building now. But the Pogonip Creek Nature Loop is very beautiful and more of an easy stroll than a strenuous hike. The Prairie Trail part of the hike is really nice! It goes through an open meadow/prairie where you can get a good view of downtown and the ocean. The park is also dog friendly! But please, pick up after your pup...
BEAUTIFUL hike!!! First time here and really enjoyed the adventure. Different trails/ distances to choose from. At the start you will find a billboard with a huge map, and little map vouchers of what you could expect in a nature atmosphere. Good for kids, adults, and pets. (We took our 6 month pup with us). There are so many things that attracted our attention. To begin with there were so many little hidden gems along the way, from little creeks, a little pond area with fishies, and a neat hidden (not through trail) that is filled with rocks stacked on top of each other with notes in between. I can't recall the names of the trails that connect to it. I did not do the 5th star due to parking.... we parked in front of a bus station company and walked through the path to reach the beginning of the trails. When we reached the start, we saw about 5 cars parked there. Isn't a huge deal, but for those who like parking on site, recommended to get there earlier. We arrived at about 12:30pm. Nonetheless, beautiful scenery, filled with all the pretty greens, open reserve area to allow your dog to enjoy his or her surroundings also. Loved it! Will be back soon. :)
6 months ago
1 year ago
This is large open space in the hills of Santa Cruz near the UC. It is not really a public park in terms of there aren't a whole lot of public benches, picnic tables, garbage receptacles, playgrounds etc... What it does have are numerous trails, most if not all are unpaved that weave into this raw open space. Some parts of the hills are open grass lands thus no shade. Some trails go into a forested area where lots of trees are some being smaller redwoods, thus lots of shade there. I picked a route/loop that was about 4 miles that had a little incline and mostly through the forested area. It was mostly on the Spring Trail. There's an old Limestone Kiln on this trail that used to extract limestone from rocks, which was then used for mortar and plaster to help build California in the 1900s. So a little piece of history here. Not crowded at all (which I love) during a Monday afternoon. More joggers than hikers for some reason, no bikers that I saw and lots of leashed dogs strolling with their owners. Santa Cruz is a very dog friendly town. I'm assuming most if not all users here are from the surrounding neighborhoods/university. I ran into lots of colorful plant life along with the birds those tow, small lizards basking in the sun and even a 3 foot snake right on the trail. Startled me at first as it is well camouflaged on the dirt and shade from the trees. I could tell by the shape of the head that it wasn't a rattle snake, so I just carefully stepped around it as not startle it. Unlike many people I don't freak out on these occurrences, so this was more exciting to me than worrisome. But glad I found this open space as I often like to exercise/hike while I'm visiting an area and now I can pair this with some beach relaxation afterwards. Santa Cruz score! read more
8 months ago
Beautiful trail in the Santa Cruz mountains to experience true natural beauty of walking among redwoods. Compared to Muir Woods it's not a very doctrinated environment with boardwalks etc, lot of redwoods are fallen over the river which are supposed to enhance the ecology. The lime kiln hike is good for beginners. Good place to bring kids and pets - saw some kids look very happy that they were crossing mini bridges over running water here and there. The ending point of the trail is at the historic Lime Kilns and it's very interesting and hard to imagine that there was a full lime making facility during the Gold Rush there, plus an ecosystem of burning redwood to power kilns for melting lime rock, and a rail road to transport the lime away read more
1 year ago
Very easy hike just off of UCSC. Sad to see trash on the trails. The koi fish were very cool to see read more
1 year ago
Pogonip was worth the trip. We entered from the UCSC trailhead parked up above at the university parking and walked along the road to enter the trail. It was easy hiking and absolutely beautiful. The koi fish were the bonus for sure! Everyone we encountered on the trail was kind and considerate. read more
6 years ago
1 year ago
A very kind local resident of Santa Cruz recommended Pogonip to us and we are so happy that he did! It's a really great spot for a hike and provides just the right amount of dosage for a nature buzz. This gem is clean, trails are well marked, largely shaded, and lots of other hikers are on the go. Definitely kid friendly and all pets are welcomed. Low activity on bugs and other critters. Really cool stops to sight see. P.S. look for the hidden Koi Fish pond! Truly, a nice great after you get about 3 miles in. read more
Came here for a hike yesterday based on the ratings and regretted it. Parking was a challenge but that's fine. The issue was we found needles, bottles, and a lot of other junk on the trails. Well, the issue mainly the needles...imagine a dog or a child picking that up. The location is great but please be cautious. read more
Nice place for a walk or a light hike in Santa Cruz. It's free and there are a few places to enter. I went up spring street and parked in the neighborhood. There's a nice trail that is wide and good for walking dogs or running too. Lots of nice redwood trees and when it's clear you can see the bay. There are no bathrooms. read more
3 years ago
I finally checked out Pogonip (POGOnip) after seeing on IG that there is a koi pond in the park. That is so cool! We parked FREE at Harvey West Park because they have flushed toilets there and it's easy to walk into Pogonip from there. We did the Lookout Trail and didn't look behind us until we got to the end of the trail, oops. But we did turn around and could see a far away view of the Pacific Ocean. Then we did the Spring Trail to Fern Trail, then we did the Lime Kiln Trail to see the Limekilns (I think this was on Spring Box Trail actually) and the strange rock arts. Koi Pond is on Spring Box Trail/Lime Kiln Trail - it's a bit off the trail, you'll see a creek just follow it down. It's a small, square box with koi in the pond. I can't believe they can survive there. We walked up to the gate into Henry Cowell Redwoods SP, then down Fern Trail. Some website said there's heroin dealers on Fern Trail and trails North but we didn't see any. We saw the Ranger Station (think abandoned), the Clubhouse is a old, closed and fenced off building, behind it is a sign to read more about it. Someone told me it was in the movie "The Lost Boys" aka Grandpa's House. We did the Nature Loop trail - it's nothing special. On the way back to Harvey West Park I saw a guy with a box of marijuana (I think) he might be a seller, not sure. Scary stuff! Then back to car. I think we did about 8 miles. Took us from 9:25am - 3:30pm. Close to Costco and Downtown Santa Cruz so you can get food and drinks afterwards. read more
8 years ago
This is probably one of the best places close to town to get away. Pogonip has a long history. Once was a ranch then a country club, now its a city park. The trails are well maintained and east flow to follow. if you go in the early morning or evening you will surely see wildlife like Bobcats, Coyote, ground varments and even a nesting Bald Eagle. This park is totally free but you have to get creative with parking. Park on Hwy 9 and walk in or Uber from downtown. The park is the home to one of the best routes into the Santa Cruz mountains on a mountain bike. The Emma McCary Trail, its a multi-purpose trail but don't hike it, It gets heavy bike traffic. Again, parking is bad, ride your bike on the levee from ample parking and beer downtown. All year is great to ride except on heavy rainy days. read more
7 years ago
What an awesome place to hike!! I came here last week with the bf hoping for an adventure. Considering it was our first time at Pogonip, we did brief research on what to expect. To start, parking is very limited but our mid week visit provided plenty of parking (but there are other sites you can park at and walk into Pogonip). We anticipated on finding the rock labyrinth, koi pond and lime kilns. And it's a good idea to keep a map on hand! I would recommend once you enter at Golf Club Drive gate, continue to walk up that road. We initially walked to the right but encountered a small homeless encampment and a few transients walking around. But beyond that, just hike around and enjoy the surroundings!! We hiked about 7 miles. We encountered the club house which was in The Lost Boys film (OMG! so cool), the historical lime kiln, a rock garden (that was unexpected and spooky at first; think Blair Witch), koi pond, rock labyrinth and a beautiful view of the boardwalk and coast! At this point of the hike, a map came in handy because we didn't want to back track to the car. So we found a trail that looped us back to the main road. Overall, Pogonip has great trails and history. I will definitely be hiking here again! read more
One of the five entrances to the Pogonip system of trails is right around the corner from my office, so lunchtime here on a nice day the trails fill with my coworkers out getting their jog on. For a while I came here about twice a week (current winter weather = increased laziness), and even though there aren't enough different combinations of trails to totally mix it up, I was still loving every minute in this gorgeous spot. I mean, do views of Monterey Bay and perfectly tranquil paths through redwood groves ever get old? There are about eight miles of trails, most of the giant redwood/ shaded ferns variety, but a couple of the loops take you out to wide open fields. Spring Trail is particularly flat and wide, making it a perfect place to get off the treadmill and do some real running, while the Pogonip Nature Loop gives you all that is perfect about Santa Cruz in a neat little hike you can crank out on a lunch break. read more
A nice local hiking spot! It's a fairly large park right by downtown Santa Cruz and UCSC that opens up to a hill where you can overlook most of Santa Cruz (all the way to the ocean!) There are some sketchier, dilapidated trails (don't take the Lower Meadow Trail, esp. at night). The Clubhouse sounds nice but is just a half broken down building now. But the Pogonip Creek Nature Loop is very beautiful and more of an easy stroll than a strenuous hike. The Prairie Trail part of the hike is really nice! It goes through an open meadow/prairie where you can get a good view of downtown and the ocean. The park is also dog friendly! But please, pick up after your pup... read more
9 years ago
BEAUTIFUL hike!!! First time here and really enjoyed the adventure. Different trails/ distances to choose from. At the start you will find a billboard with a huge map, and little map vouchers of what you could expect in a nature atmosphere. Good for kids, adults, and pets. (We took our 6 month pup with us). There are so many things that attracted our attention. To begin with there were so many little hidden gems along the way, from little creeks, a little pond area with fishies, and a neat hidden (not through trail) that is filled with rocks stacked on top of each other with notes in between. I can't recall the names of the trails that connect to it. I did not do the 5th star due to parking.... we parked in front of a bus station company and walked through the path to reach the beginning of the trails. When we reached the start, we saw about 5 cars parked there. Isn't a huge deal, but for those who like parking on site, recommended to get there earlier. We arrived at about 12:30pm. Nonetheless, beautiful scenery, filled with all the pretty greens, open reserve area to allow your dog to enjoy his or her surroundings also. Loved it! Will be back soon. :) read more
15 years ago
15 years ago
Just had the greatest experience at Pogonip over the weekend! I kept telling my fiance that I really wanted to go there and he was like "what the heck is Pogonip"!! I guess the name is pretty funny! But that is why I was drawn to it!! We took our dogs and headed out on the trails. They are well maintained and I didn't feel worried about getting poison oak or anything. We spent about 3 hours hiking around and it was gorgeous. Not too many other hikers on the trails that day. My dogs had so much fun and we all got a good workout. There is a nice mix of flat and steep areas. I think the trails are also well marked. We cheated a little with the GPS on our phone. I'm sure we will be back many times in the future. read more
12 years ago
Lots of open spaces and redwood trees. Pretty picturesque! Its a great break from city life. If youre walking, watch out for multi use trails because bikers can come quick down switch backs. Maps available online and the trailheads are well marked with quite a few different loops. Trails got pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon, but not super packed. Got to enjoy nature on relatively flat well groomed trails. Lots of places to enter park. Caution: no bathroom facilities! read more
13 years ago
5 years ago
13 years ago
Pogonip makes for a great short hike, especially if you're visiting Santa Cruz and don't have much time. You can easily maneuver the trails and find the best combination to see all that the Santa Cruz landscape has to offer. It's also a great place to go if you're new to hiking, since the trails are well maintained and marked, making it super easy to navigate. Many trails allow dogs on leashes and a few allow mountain biking. It's also very easy to get to from campus, so it's great for students who don't have cars. I believe there's a trail entrance off of Coolidge Drive near Chadwick Garden and another up past the Crown apartments. read more
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