Article

Win A Map! Or Better Yet, Two.

by Hilltromper staff

Oct. 29, 2014—Who doesn't like maps? The familiar landmarks abstracted, the strange ones demystified, the possible adventures noted, the travelled routes remembered. Maps remind us of what has been and what could be. So what could be better than a map of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Two maps of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The Sempervirens Fund's two-map set, the Trail Map of the Santa Cruz Mountains, includes the whole network of trails within and between Big Basin Redwoods, Castle Rock, Portola Redwoods, Ano Nuevo and Butano state parks. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is highlighted, so you can explore the 30-mile route from Castle Rock to Waddell Creek. All in all, it's the heart of the Great Park—and this data-rich map set, updated in 2010, shows you the way to its treasures.

Plus the back of each map has loads of useful information about each park, the ecology you'll encounter, and the story of Sempervirens Fund, which has made its business the preservation of redwood forest habitat in the Santa Cruz Mountains. So you have something to read around the campfire, even.

HOW DO YOU WIN?

So easy you'll plotz. Leave a comment on this article telling us your favorite park of all the ones covered in the map set (Big Basin, Castle Rock, Ano Nuevo, Butano and Portola Redwoods) and why you love it. We'll draw a winner from the pool of respondents and announce it in next week's newsletter. Good luck!

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Ano Nuevo gets my vote

Submitted by mandyspit on Wed, 10/29/2014 - 19:59

I love visiting the Elephant Seals every year and after they leave walking that long beach is such a treat.

I love all of the parks

Submitted by Watercruzer on Thu, 10/30/2014 - 08:19

I love all of the parks listed but my favorite must be Big Basin...it has so many different facets and variety and I have been going there for years. It is the place where my kids discovered giant salamanders and banana slugs and where I kept them hiking with the promise of seeing a beautiful waterfall. The Wadell Creek end has a special place in my heart for the 5 mile bike ride to the 1/2 mile hike to the falls. Love it!

I love Big Basin

Submitted by melissaott on Thu, 10/30/2014 - 10:03

I love Big Basin because of that huge tree that you can stand inside of... standing within a tree that huge is such an incredible reminder of the greatness of redwoods and how small humans really are. There's also a creek at Big Basin that is fun to explore, and though I never went there as a child, I could imagine children feeling transported to another world exploring that creek with all of those enormous redwoods keeping watch.

Waddell Creek's my fave

Submitted by helloariel on Sun, 11/02/2014 - 09:48

I love all the parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but I have so many fond memories of our first backpacking trips with my children (they were 3, 5, 6 years old) from Waddell Creek to Big Basin, it gets my vote as favorite!