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Photo: Bmp713, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Located on the south end of Felton on Highway 9. Long scenic trails filled with old growth redwoods, a nature center, and biking trails make this a great park to visit.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving mainly forest and riparian areas in the watershed of the San Lorenzo River, including a grove of old-growth coast redwood. It is located in Santa Cruz County, primarily in the area between the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, near the community of Felton and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The park includes a non-contiguous extension in the Fall Creek area north of Felton. The 4,623-acre (1,871 ha) park was established in 1953.
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Located right next to Henry Cowell Redwoods. Take a train ride to the beach at Santa Cruz ($28/22 adult/child return, 1 hr/direction) or a steam train on a loop around the redwoods ($26/19 adult/child, 1:15 return). The beach train is standard gauge, diesel hauled, and runs through some lovely scenery on its way to and from Santa Cruz. The forest train is a narrow gauge line that recreates the atmosphere of a historic lumber company railway, with trestles, switchbacks, and several geared steam locomotives. It's an absolute hit with small children as well as overgrown children who never lost their love for steam trains. Schedules vary according to the season, with 1 to 4 departures per day all year around.
This 2,390 acre unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is located a few miles north of the main park and contains 20 miles of secluded creekside trails that lead deep into the forest. Very peaceful and beautiful. Also contains remains of items from a previous period of time, such as lime kilns and crumbling foundations of workers quarters.