The 1996 acquisition of Gray Whale Ranch gave Wilder Ranch an entrance off Empire Grade Road and presented hikers and bikers with the possibility of having their downhill fun first and ending their day with a relentless slog up the slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Whatever works!
The lovely 1.2-mile–long Chinquapin Trail starts at about 1000 feet elevation at a closed gate about 2 miles past the East Entrance to UC-Santa Cruz (park on the wide spot on the road). It skirts a small section of rare sandhill habitat, with its white sand and manzanitas, then dips down into a lovely grassy meadow where the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle lives (and dies—sadly, its hobby is basking in the same dirt roads where cyclists ride). Chinquapin leads to a magnificent overlook marked by a stand of huge eucalyptus. Here the 3.3-mile Eucalyptus Loop begins its descent to about 600 feet through meadow, oak woodland and deep ravines with huge redwoods, ferns and sorrel growing along creeks (it’s a lollipop, so either direction is fine). If you have time, energy and an aversion to in-and-out trails, you can turn left on Eucalyptus Loop and follow it to Old Cabin Trail, which leads down into and out of a cool, deep redwood ravine. Turn left on Wild Boar Trail, then turn left again at picturesque Long Meadow Trail, which joins Chinquapin near Empire Grade Road about 1.5 miles later. Keep an eye out for a redwood grove off to the right of the trail where someone has carved seats into a group of redwood stumps.
