Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe Park Property

*HEAT ALERT: With temperatures set to exceed 110 degrees throughout much of the state this week, California is urging everyone to take extra precautions as they celebrate the Fourth of July. Governor Newsom has directed the Office of Emergency Services to activate its State Operations Center. Read about how California is preparing for this heatwave. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for parts of California from 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, through Sunday, July 7, at 8 p.m. PDT. Please be sure to take extra precautions when heading outdoors and know before you go by checking the park’s webpage ahead of time. Visit our safety tips webpage and get the latest on the weather at weather.gov.

The Park is currently OPEN.

Reservations

Contact Number

(831) 226-9669

Park Hours

Closed to the public at this time, except by special event or appointment.

Park Activities

Are Dogs Allowed?

Day-Use Activities & Facilities

Historical/Cultural Site
Exhibits and Programs
Guided Tours

Park Directions

Get directions through Google Maps

The Castro Adobe is located at 184 Old Adobe Road, Watsonville. Take Highway 1 and exit on Buena Vista Drive (exit #428). Drive east on Buena Vista Drive for a half mile until the Larkin Valley Road intersection stop sign. Turn left, then immediately turn right diagonally, going up the hill to Old Adobe Road, a one lane private road. Travel up Old Adobe Road approximately 1 mile. The Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe State Historic Park is on the right side of the road.

By Bus: Take Santa Cruz METRO route 91X Commuter Express to Watsonville. Exit Main & Green Valley. Walk towards Green Valley & Main bus stop for 74S towards Watsonville Hospital. Stay on the bus for 16 stops, then exit Manfre & #309 (Buena Vista). Walk 1.5 miles north on Manfre Road toward Buena Vista Drive, turn left on Buena Vista Drive, Turn right onto Larkin Valley Road, then take a slight right onto Old Adobe Road. The Castro Adobe will be on the right in 1 mile.

Looking for your next adventure?

California State Parks Backpacking Adventures offers naturalist-led backpacking trips through the Santa Cruz Mountains each summer, including our NEW "Cars-BA" Family Camp at Big Basin! Online registration is open now!

View our guided hikes and other public programs schedule and make a reservation by visiting our Parks Events page!

Open House Tours

Stroll back in time with our State Park docents to the Mexican Rancho period of the mid-1800s. That’s when the two-story Castro Adobe hacienda was built on the 8,000-acre rancho granted to Jose Joaquin Castro and became one of the social centers of the central California coast. Learn about vaquero culture and their skills at Rancho San Andres while listening to live music. Explore the fandango room where music and dance were enjoyed frequently and visit one of the last remaining indoor cocinas in California. You will hear about the bear and bull fights held on site while discovering all the new exhibits and interpretive displays. Afterwards, you are invited to picnic in the orchard while enjoying the quiet country setting.

Check the date of our next open house and register at: www.SantaCruzStateParks.as.me/CastroAdobeOpenHouse

This is a free event with limited parking so carpooling is encouraged. Old Adobe Road is a one lane road, so please be considerate of our neighbors, drive slowly and pull over to let oncoming traffic pass. Dogs are not permitted in the park and should not be left in a vehicle unattended.

Get a virtual 360-degree view of the Castro Adobe and see what makes this place so special.

Also, watch the "20 Years of Labor and Love: Restoration at the Castro Adobe" video produced by the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.

Want to support the Castro Adobe?

Castro Adobe SP Photo 2 Located in the Pájaro Valley, the two-story Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe is a historic rancho hacienda that was built between 1848-49.

Funding for the restoration of the Castro Adobe is provided by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Visit their website to support this project.

Kids2Parks Program

Kids2Parks is an innovative park-equity program to bring students from Title I schools to State Park field trips. The program, a partnership between California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, increases the number of students who have visited a state park or beach by reducing barriers to access. The program offers transportation funding for field trips to select Title I schools in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. For more information, and to apply, please visit www.thatsmypark.org/visit/k2p/.

Land Acknowledgement

Rancho San Andres Castro Adobe State Historic Property sits on the homelands of the Awaswas speaking Aptos tribe. Their descendants continue their stewardship and presence here, in partnership with State Parks. We would like to recognize the indigenous people past and present, and give our appreciation for the opportunity to teach, work, live, learn, and steward on their traditional homelands.