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By Bridget Lyons

The days are shorter, the sun is less intense, and there’s a lovely nip in the air…that means it’s hiking season in Hilltromper country!

But, you might be asking, where should I go?

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, in addition to preserving approximately 6,000 acres of local terrain for conservation purposes, has developed accessible, user-friendly hiking trails on several of their properties. Depending on how much distance you want to cover, how far you want to drive, and what ecosystem you want to spend time in, you’ve got some great options—three of which are profiled below.

Antonelli Pond

Not all local residents know about this little gem tucked into the heart of Santa Cruz’s Westside—perhaps because it consists of only 19 acres of land. However, Antonelli Pond is worth getting to know, as this little parcel has a lot to offer.

For starters, there’s a freshwater pond, a rare feature in urban coastal California. Freshwater near the ocean means great birding, so look for green herons, egrets, belted kingfishers, pied-billed grebes, swifts, swallows, and American bitterns.

The pond itself serves as a home to largemouth bass, which you can fish for (state permit required) either from shore or from a nice little dock. Catch and release is recommended. It also provides habitat for western pond turtles and the California state amphibian: the endangered red-legged frog.

Volunteer efforts have restored native plants such as California sage and elderberry to the riparian zone. The ADA-accessible trails on both sides of the pond, each a quarter mile-long, allow you observe all of these creatures, and picnic tables will entice you to linger.

Finally, the Land Trust, in partnership with the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Regional Parks Program, recently erected new interpretive signs that explain the spot’s colorful and varied past as well as the significance of the ecosystems it’s currently preserving.

If you live in the city of Santa Cruz, Antonelli Pond makes a perfect bike-ride destination, thanks to its proximity to the Westside Rail Trail. It’s close to several Westside eateries and watering holes, so combining some time in nature with a gastronomic excursion makes for a terrific Central Coast day. Dogs on leash are welcome. Antonelli Pond is also a great place to swing by during the course of an errand run or a daily commute, since it’s easily accessed from Delaware Avenue. Even a brief visit can provide a much-needed reminder of our small place in a much larger natural world.

Glenwood Open Space Preserve

This 170-acre property in Scotts Valley was once slated to be the site of a development including 276 homes and a golf course. Thanks to efforts by the Land Trust and partner organizations, it’s instead the last remaining chunk of undeveloped land in the town. As such, it houses a number of rare and endangered species, including the Ohlone tiger beetle, the Opler’s longhorn moth, and the Scotts Valley spineflower.

Glenwood also has 7.2 miles of terrific singletrack trail. Three of these miles are on the west side of Glenwood Drive and are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and dogs. The other 4.2 miles lie on the east side of the road and are open to hikers and equestrians. Dogs are not permitted on the east side trails because of cattle-grazing occurring there. This undertaking is managed by the Land Trust to foster habitat for species like the Ohlone tiger beetle, which thrive in landscapes with short grass and bare soil. You’ll find some information about this and other conservation efforts at the kiosks mounted at the preserve’s entrance.

Because of the layout of the Glenwood trail system, it’s possible to create a variety of different loops and linkages through undulating terrain. None of the trails are longer than 1.2 miles, so you can make your hike as short or as long as you choose. You’ll be walking through a mix of open grassland and stands of oaks. On a clear day, the views of the surrounding hills are beautiful. On a rainy or foggy day, there’s a lovely intimacy created by the clouds.

The preserve is accessed from a parking lot on Glenwood Drive, just .8 miles from the Granite Creek Road exit off of Highway 17. This location makes Glenwood Open Space Preserve easy to get to—and yet, you may well find yourself alone on the trails.

San Vicente Redwoods

For most Santa Cruz County residents, San Vicente Redwoods is the furthest from home of these three properties; however, visitors will be rewarded by the area’s wilder feel and dramatic landscape.

Because nearly all of San Vicente Redwoods burned in 2020’s CZU Fires, it’s an ecosystem in transition. More than 1,200 trees were removed from the area to make it safe for recreation, and the process significantly slowed the construction of the current trail system. However, 7.3 miles of trail are open now (2 mile trail for horse riding), and the Land Trust would like to build 30 more miles over the next three to five years.
The current network contains five trails (four of which are also open to bikes), each with an Awaswas name that honors the ancestral inhabitants and stewards of this land. The Hu’mis (owl), Ma-rus (panther), Hai-min’ (lizard), and Yu-kis (live oak) trails are all easy, relatively flat paths with minimal obstacles. The Rum-me’ (canyon) trail has a bit more elevation change and a few rocky sections, but it offers great views of the lower elevation sections of the preserve and, if the sky is clear, the ocean.

San Vicente Redwoods, or “SVR,” as it is often called, is a model of collaborative land management, and, if you visit, you’re likely to be greeted by a friendly access assistant willing to explain this model to you. Basically, the Peninsula Open Space Trust and Sempervirens Fund co-own the property, Save the Redwoods oversees its easement, and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County manages public access. While quality recreation is a goal of this parcel of land, habitat preservation, wildlife monitoring, and education are equally important objectives. The trails were designed to balance these priorities, and you’ll see interpretive kiosks and wildlife cameras out on the trail as evidence of that.

Tracking the area’s human use is critical to these efforts, so you’ll need to get a free SVR Trail Pass online and carry it with you during your visit. (If you want to visit before you receive your pass in the mail, you can carry a copy of a confirmation email instead.) Keep in mind that SVR is open from 8am until 7pm until the end of September. From October 1 through the end of April, those hours switch to 9am—5pm. It takes about a half hour to get there from Santa Cruz, and the well-marked parking lot is just off of Empire Grade.

Bryne-Milliron Forest (reopens spring 2025)

This unique 400-acre Land Trust property in Corralitos houses 10 miles of wooded trails with views of the Pajaro Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Byrne-Milliron is a working forest where sustainable timber harvest practices are being employed in the service of ecosystem health. Those harvest practices are going on right now; as a result, the forest is temporarily closed to visitation. When it reopens in spring of 2025, it will once again provide excellent opportunities for hiking, dog walking, and bird watching—no doubt with a few changes to the views and the understory, thanks to these ongoing efforts to cultivate a thriving landscape.

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Regardless of the spot you choose for your autumn hike, remember that you are sharing the land with a host of other wild creatures. Respect them by staying on the trails, packing out your trash, and obeying all posted rules and regulations. In addition, consider supporting the organizations that work to ensure these special places are preserved and maintained for the good of all living things. You can contribute to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County’s efforts with financial or volunteer support or by simply spreading the word about what they’re doing. For more information, see their website, landtrustsantacruz.org.

Bridget Lyons is a writer and editor living in Santa Cruz. To learn more about her work and explorations, visit www.bridgetalyons.com.