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Felton is an
unincorporated Santa Cruz County community
located only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and the City of
Santa Cruz. Hiking, bicycling, fishing,
jogging, walking, camping, train rides, shopping and just plain fun
awaits happy travelers seeking an old-fashioned escape. Surrounded
by beautiful redwood groves and forests, the region features hiking
trails, an amusement park where kids can pan for gold and ride an
old-fashioned train and a landmark covered bridge seen in paintings
and photographed often. See
California Trains &
Trams
When visiting Felton,
take a ride on the Beach Train to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It is
one of the oldest and most historic lines in California providing an
authentic experience that takes you back in time. Located at Roaring
Camp five miles east of Scotts Valley in Felton, the route opened in
1875 and was designed to carry picnickers and tourists to the Big
Trees and Santa Cruz. Today’s Beach Trains travel through Henry
Cowell Redwoods State Park, down the scenic San Lorenzo River Gorge,
across a 1909 steel truss bridge, and through an 1875 tunnel before
arriving at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. A round trip excursion
takes three hours and costs $20 (approximate) round trip.
Buy tickets
While some believe
Beach Train is the ultimate experience, Steam Train narrow-gauge
excursions to Bear Mountain are equally popular. Roaring Camp's
steam engines date from 1890 and are among the oldest and most
authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines. Travel over
trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding
narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain where you can exit
the train to stand in a redwood grove.
/ roaringcamp.com
Henry Cowell
Redwoods State Park is adjacent to Roaring Camp and
features 20 miles of hiking and riding trails through a forest that
looks much the same as it did 200 years ago. The tallest tree in the
park is about 285 feet tall, and about 16 feet wide. The oldest
trees in the park are about 1400 to 1800 years old. The park has a
nature center, bookstore and main park area containing about 1,750
acres of old-growth redwoods. Call:
831-438-2396.
www.parks.ca.gov
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