Rancho del Oso

Rancho del Oso is the coastal unit of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, in the Waddell Valley off Highway 1 about 17 miles north of Santa Cruz, across the highway from Waddell Beach. Day use is free and needs no reservation. It has two visitor centers open noon to 4 p.m. on weekends, short trails along the Waddell Creek marsh, and the park's only open campground. It cannot be reached by road or trail from the main Big Basin area.

Visitor Centers

Waddell Creek divides Rancho del Oso. Both centers are open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

• Nature and History Center: on the south side of the Waddell Creek Bridge, at 3600 Highway 1, Davenport, about a quarter mile inland on a dirt road. Once the ranch home of the Hoover and McLean family, it has exhibits on native plants and animals, local history and a grizzly bear exhibit. It is run with the Waddell Creek Association.
• Welcome Center: on the north side of the bridge, about a quarter mile inland from the yellow gate across from the Waddell Beach parking lot. Opened in October 2023, it has interactive, accessible exhibits, murals of the coastal ecosystem and ocean views.

Phone: (831) 425-3758.

Trails at Rancho del Oso

• Marsh Trail: 0.4 mile, easy, about 20 minutes. Connects the Nature and History Center to the ranger station by a bridge over Waddell Creek. From about October to late April the bridge is removed and the trail ends at the creek.
• Hoover Trail: 0.7 mile out and back, easy to moderate. Views over the Waddell marsh, Waddell Beach and the ocean, then up into recovering Monterey pine forest.
• Skyline to the Sea Trail: 0.4 mile from the Highway 1 entrance to the Welcome Center and campground, past the marsh, then closed at a gate. The trail beyond is closed after fire damage.

There are currently no horse-accessible trails at Rancho del Oso.

Wildlife and Birding

California State Parks counts seven ecosystems in the valley, from beach and dunes through marsh, Monterey pine forest and redwoods. More than 250 bird species have been seen in the valley and on Waddell Beach, including golden and bald eagles, osprey and snowy plovers. The agency suggests the Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, on the inland side of Highway 1, for birdwatching.

A Short History

Lumberman William Waddell ran a timber operation here in the 1860s and died in 1875 after a grizzly bear attack. In 1912 Theodore Hoover, Stanford's dean of engineering and brother of President Herbert Hoover, bought most of the valley and named his holdings Rancho del Oso. California State Parks acquired about two-thirds of the ranch, including Waddell Beach, in 1977, which allowed the Skyline to the Sea Trail to be finished. In 1985 Hoover's daughter Hulda Hoover McLean sold her home, which became the Nature and History Center.

Camping

The walk-in campground has five reservable sites and one shared bike-in site at the former horse camp.

Directions

From Santa Cruz, take Highway 1 north through Davenport. The Nature and History Center turnoff is 1.3 miles past Davenport, at the bottom of a long grade just before the Waddell Creek Bridge: look for the small brown "Nature Center" sign. For the Welcome Center and trails, use the yellow gate on the inland side of Highway 1 across from the Waddell Beach lot. Day hikers can park in the lot by Waddell Beach or along the inland side of Highway 1.

An accessible picnic area sits between the Welcome Center and the camp, and an ocean overlook west of Highway 1 has accessible parking and a restroom.