Tromp Blog

Keep Cool Cross-Training at the Best Swimming Holes and Beaches

The Garden of Eden is quite spectacular but gets crowded in the summer. Photo by Mike Kahn.

Six swimming holes and beach-swims near Santa Cruz that let you work in some exercise.

Five Reasons Why Your Parking Fee Matters

Your parking fees help fund education programs at state parks and beaches! Photo: Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks

How paying parking fees at state parks, beaches makes a bigger difference than most people think.

Explore New Growth and Trails at Big Basin Redwoods

Exploring the big trees, regrowth and interpretive signs along the easy access Redwood Loop Trail at the Main Day Use area. Photo by Mike Kahn.

The CZU Fire brought about a transformation that’s a wonder to behold, and Big Basin is open to visitors. Here’s how to get there and what you’ll find.

Mountain Biking Santa Cruz County’s San Vicente Redwoods

Checking out the Habitats of San Vicente Redwoods interp panel. Photo by Bridget Lyons.

Newish MTB-accessible trails wind through carefully protected wildlife habitat and thoughtful interpretive exhibits in the footprint of the CZU fire.

The Stories of the Castro Adobe

Artist David Rickman created illustrations for the new exhibits at the Castro Adobe State Historic Park, including this vivid portrait of a woman on horseback. Photo: Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks

With the unveiling of new interpretive exhibits, the once-crumbling Castro Adobe emerges as a first-rate State Historic Park.

Is Cowell Beach the Best Beginner's Surf Break in the World?

Dawn above the Santa Cruz Wharf and some fortunate surfers at Cowell’s. Photo by Bridget Lyons.

A practical, user-friendly guide to learning to surf in Santa Cruz: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Science Spotlight: Why Do Humpbacks Breach?

Scientists are unsure what drives humpback whales' exuberant displays.  NOAA photo.

More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.

Castle Rock SP: The Crown Jewel on Santa Cruz’s Skyline

Vaqueros sandstone outcroppings make Castle Rock one of the premiere climbing destinations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Photo courtesy of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.

Ten recreation options available at Castle Rock State Park, just north of Boulder Creek, from climbing to horseback riding to picnicking with a view.

The Wildflowers of Seabright & the Garden Learning Center

California poppies and other wildflowers thrive on a patch of land that once was a lawn. Credit: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Felicia Van Stolk of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History explains how a California native-plant garden benefits wildlife in the neighborhood and beyond.

Product Launch: Find & Protect Wildflowers with BloomTracker

The new BloomTracker by Hilltromper. Photo: Mike Kahn

Hilltromper announces an online resource that tells you where your favorite flowers are blooming right now, and helps preserve these wonders of nature.

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