Article

By Bridget Lyons

July 23, 2024—It’s hot out there—and predicted to get hotter still. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who live within a half-mile of the ocean, you’re likely experiencing record high temperatures this summer. Luckily, there’s no reason for the weather to stop you from Hilltromping. Santa Cruz County boasts a number of terrific spots for cooling off that get you away from the human-built environment and out into nature.

Personally, I like to earn my swims—especially if the water is cold—by first building up a sweat. With that in mind, here are six great places where you can combine your swimming adventures with walking, running, or biking. Three of them are in the mountains and three are at the coast, so choose the ecosystem to fit your mood, and get out there!

1. Big Rock Hole
This well-known spot just off Highway 9 north of Santa Cruz provides easy access to the San Lorenzo River. It’s a wide and relatively deep pool with a nice sandy beach, and it’s far enough away from the highway to feel remote. The fastest way to access Big Rock Hole is to park at the Rincon lot (a large dirt area on the river side of Highway 9 about 3 miles north of town), cross the tracks, and walk down the Rincon Road. Towards the bottom, the main trail heads left at a sign that reads “Danger: No Lifeguard.” Go right here. You’ll soon find yourself at the water, but not yet at Big Rock Hole. Use the user-built rockhopping path to cross the channel, then continue on the sandy trail. In a couple of minutes, you’ll emerge onto a sunny beach by a big, inviting pool. This is Big Rock Hole.

If you want more of a workout than the short walk down from the Rincon parking area, you can hike or run to Big Rock Hole from the northern or eastern portions of Henry Cowell State Park. I like parking at the Visitors’ Center, running along the River Trail (see below), then winding my way up through the forest to the Big Rock Hole Trail. That trail passes through the Cathedral Redwoods at its high point, then drops you steeply down to the river at Big Rock Hole. Of course, you’ll have to reverse this to get back to your car, but you’ll be well cooled off by then.

2. The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is a haven for Slugs—and I don’t mean the invertebrate kind, although I have seen them in the area. UCSC students love this place. It’s got clear, cool, blue-green water cascading over rocks into swimmable pools, several sandy beaches, and steep redwood-covered banks. What’s not to love about that?

Well, perhaps the crowds, if you choose to go there at midday on a weekend. But any other time, you may well have the place to yourself. While this top-notch swimming spot is in Henry Cowell State Park, you can’t get to it from the main trail system on the east side of the river. Instead, you need to access it from the railroad tracks on the west side of the San Lorenzo.

You have two options: Either park at the Rincon lot described in the Big Rock Hole entry above and go left (upriver) when you hit the tracks, or park at the Highway 9 lot just before the Toll House Resort in Felton, head down the Ox Trail (go right at the bottom), and turn right to walk downriver along the tracks. Either way, you’ll be looking for an obvious and well-used path from the tracks to the river with five brown signs (the largest of them says “Danger: No Jumping into Water”). The trail will lead you to the main beach. If it’s crowded, walk upstream a bit to find your own personal Edenic pool.

I like to tack a visit to the Garden of Eden onto a mountain bike ride. After riding the Emma McCrary and U-Con Trails or any of the UCSC fire roads, you can bomb down to the Rincon parking lot and then ride along the tracks to the swimming hole. Bring a lock to secure your bike to a tree while you’re washing off your trail dust at the Garden of Eden.

3. The River Trail
The River Trail is a lovely mile-long walk along the San Lorenzo in Henry Cowell State Park. It parallels the Pipeline Road for most of its distance but allows hikers and runners to be on singletrack a bit closer to the water (bikers need to stay on the road). While it is mostly shaded, the trail emerges into sunlight just often enough to warm your skin and offer some good photo opps.

In addition, the River Trail has several of its own mini-beaches and swimming holes, at least one of which is equipped with a rope swing. To access this trail, park in the main Henry Cowell parking area and make your way towards the river. Depending on where you park, you may have to cross through several additional lots and/or picnic areas. Once you find the trail, you’ll have a mile of riparian meandering to enjoy. Along the way, you’ll pass under a railroad bridge and have the chance to walk across a seasonal bridge (which happens to have a beach and swimming hole under it). The trail ends at Cable Car Beach, where you can turn around, stop for a swim, or continue on to other Henry Cowell State Park trails.

As I mentioned above, I like to begin and end some of my Henry Cowell runs on the River Trail. It makes for a mellow warm up before taking on the steeper hills of the Pipeline or Rincon Roads, and running back to the car through its winding curves is always a fun reward. Because this trail is flat and leaves from the main parking area, it can be quite crowded on weekends. On a recent July Saturday, the beaches along the trail were covered with blankets and pool toys. If you’re looking for a quieter experience, come during the week or, better yet, early in the morning, when you’re likely to see a blue heron or a turkey.

4. Cowell Beach and West Cliff Drive
Cowell Beach is one of the best ocean swimming spots in the area. In fact, it’s so popular that, on many weekend mornings in the summer, large groups of wetsuit-clad (and sometimes very brave non-wetsuit-clad) folks can be seen adjusting their caps and goggles before heading en masse into the water. They drive all the way from San Francisco and the East Bay to swim in this protected cove on days when there’s not much swell.

The City of Santa Cruz encourages this by putting buoys out in the cove for the summer. These make great objects to sight on and swim towards, and they are also good waypoints for regrouping with your companions. Lifeguards are posted from roughly 10am to 7pm every day during the summer.

Of course, the water is cold—it’s been about 58 degrees for the last month—but that’s why you’re likely to be swimming with sea otters and sea lions! There’s a public bathroom right at the beach, but an even nicer one sits on the other side of the wharf, next to the Ideal Bar. It was recently given a facelift and sports a new mosaic mural. Keep in mind that parking in the immediate area is metered.

The obvious activity to combine with a Cowell Beach dip is a walk, run, or bike ride on West Cliff. It’s right there, after all, and you just can’t beat the views. Learn more about West Cliff Drive.

5. Natural Bridges State Park
At the other end of West Cliff lies Natural Bridges State Park, known for its great tidepooling and its overwintering monarch butterfly population. It’s also got a lovely little beach, complete with the one remaining picturesque arch that gave the place its name.

During much of the year, the waves and currents here make swimming dangerous. In the summer, it’s more friendly for a quick get-yourself-wet dip (“real” distance swims here are rarely a good idea). There are lifeguards posted during the summer between roughly 9:30am and 5pm.

Again, some West Cliff time is the obvious precursor to a dip at Natural Bridges. Or you can just camp out on the beach for the day; many people do. If you happen to be out there during one of our summer early morning low tides, you can also check out the tide pools!

6. Manresa State Beach
Manresa State Beach lies at the southern end of a glorious stretch of Santa Cruz County beach—one that begins at Seacliff State Beach and runs south for several miles. While the surf can be a bit poundy here and the currents are not to be taken lightly, a quick dip here can be the perfect way to cool off on a hot day, especially when the lifeguards are on duty (roughly between 10am and 7pm).

As of this article’s publication, the water temperature there was 60 degrees, so it’s chilly. The area can get crowded, so come early to get a parking spot in the main lot on Saturdays and Sundays. Luckily, even on the weekends, the beach is so huge that you’ll always be able to find your own personal patch of sand.

This stretch of coastline was made for walking. If you’re headed there, you owe it to yourself to wander up or down the waterline for however long your meandering mind and sturdy legs allow. For me, just making tracks in the sand is relaxing, and staring out at breaking waves while doing so has even more of a calming effect. In addition, there’s often great shorebird watching along these southern Santa Cruz County Beaches. I like to head south from the main park entrance lot since the houses in that direction are mostly hidden behind the vegetation-covered bluffs.

No matter where your ramblings take you, remember to bring and drink plenty of water and to pack out all of your trash—or perhaps even someone else’s too. We’re all trying to cool off, so these spots are popular. If we can leave them in better condition than we found them, we can all enjoy these public resources without putting undue stress on California’s State Park system and our local city and county parks.

Also, keep in mind that your state park parking fees support the infrastructure you’re using. Please park in designated areas and pay the appropriate fees when you head out on your warm weather excursion so that we can all continue to enjoy these special landscapes!

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

Become part of the Hilltromper community! Subscribe to Hilltromper's free e-newsletter to get the latest articles and events delivered right to your virtual doorstep.