The
{Link without Title} is a 29.5 mile (47.2 km) hiking trail that descends from the ridge of the
Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern
California to the
Pacific Ocean , passing through
Castle Rock State Park and
Big Basin Redwoods State Park .
The trail usually takes two to three days to complete, with nearly all thru-hikers traveling from East to West (towards the ocean). It is possible to walk the entire trail in one day, though this is unusual and very difficult. Many hikers like to take a detour up Berry Creek Trail to see the waterfalls or to camp at Sunset Trail Camp, adding an additional 2.7 mi. (4.3 km) to the hike.
The trail begins at
Saratoga Gap on the ridge, at the intersection of
CA-9 and Skyline Boulevard (
CA-35 ). It parallels Highway 9 through Castle Rock, crosses the highway, and then follows
CA-236 to Big Basin park headquarters. It then descends through Big Basin, following
Waddell Creek to its outlet at
Waddell Beach .
No public transportation serves both ends of the trail, so hikers must make their own arrangements. However, Santa Cruz Metro routes 35 and 40 together can get you from Big Basin State Park Headquarters to Waddell Creek and back. If you plan to use route 40, just beware that it only runs twice a day.
There is a proposed plan for a "Saratoga-to-the-Sea" Trail.
The plan would create a trail starting somewhere near Hakone Gardens in
Saratoga , passing through a defunct
Quarry , and terminating in
Sanborn-Skyline County Park . This trail would connect to the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail via a completed section of the
Bay Area Ridge Trail . The quarry is owned by the Santa Clara County Roads and Airports Department, which is conducting feasibility studies of this plan. [http://www.svcn.com/archives/saratoganews/20060510/news1.shtml
