SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CALIFORNIA - After closing more than a year ago due to damage from seasonal winter storms, Soquel Demonstration State Forest has reopened, welcoming recreational visitors to over 2,500 acres and 32 miles of trails. The forest closed due to downed trees, mudslides and blocked roads and hiking trails. Since then, maintenance crews have been clearing debris and employing trail stewardship efforts to restore the park for visitors.

Popular with equestrians and hikers, “Demonstration Forest” as it is commonly known is the prime location in the Bay Area for intermediate and advanced mountain bikers due to trails with long climbs and challenging technical descents – including a 15-mile single-track downhill ride.  Most of the trails here cover at least 10 miles and climb over 2,000 feet; the climb out of any single-track trail is three to four miles uphill. This mid-county location, nestled inland from Aptos features coastal redwoods, Douglas-fir, mixed hardwood, chaparral, and riparian ecosystems along the East Branch of Soquel Creek and Amaya Creek.  Several natural springs and small marshes are featured, and its location adjacent to the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park offers expanded opportunities for recreation.  The forest is geologically active, with the San Andreas and Zayante Faults passing through the property and the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake located approximately two miles south of Demonstration Forest. 

Originally part of a Mexican land grant, the property was logged by several different owners prior to the State taking ownership in 1988. Today, the forest is managed for sustainable timber production, research, educational activities, public recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed protection. SDSF is unique because it is the only State Forest located near large urban areas. Its proximity to the metropolitan centers of the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area provides excellent opportunities for hands-on forestry education and outdoor recreation while demonstrating a working forest for the public.

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Getting There:

Located along the Central Coast, Santa Cruz County, California, is approximately 70 miles/113 km south of San Francisco and 349 miles/562 km from Los Angeles. Many visitors choose to take scenic Highway 1 along the California coastline to Santa Cruz or Highway 17 through the Santa Cruz Mountains. Visitors can also choose to fly into San Francisco International Airport or San Jose Mineta International Airport.  

Press Contact:

Christina Glynn, Director of Communications

Visit Santa Cruz County

Phone:  +1.831.429.7281 ext. 112.

Email:  cglynn@santacruz.org.

Mail:  303 Water Street, #100, Santa Cruz, CA  95060

About VSCC: A private, non-profit corporation, Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC) exists to enhance tourism and the economy by positioning Santa Cruz County as a visitor, conference, and film destination. For more information, contact VSCC at +1.831.425.1234 or visit VSCC's website at SantaCruz.org.