Hikes from Rancho del Oso

Hikes

Skyline to the Sea Trail is Closed 0.4 miles past Highwya 1 Entrance. Welcome Center, Walk-in Campground, and Facilities can be found at end of Skyline to the Sea Trail. Marsh Trail is closed October - May for Seasonal Bridge. Racnho del Oso Nature and History Trail, bathrooms, and Hoover Trail can be found from entrance south of the Marsh.

Skyline to the Sea Trail
Trail ends and is closed at gate by Walk-in Campground 0.4 miles past Highway 1 Entrance
Distance: .4 miles
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
This road takes you to the Welcome Center and Walk-in Campground from the Highway 1 Entrance across from the Waddell Beach Parking Lot. It offers views of the Marsh. Note that it is closed at the gate 0.4 miles past the entrance due to damage from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Access to areas of Big Basin Redwoods State Park past this point can only be accessed from the Boulder Creek side of the park off of Highway 236.

Marsh Trail
Distance: .4 miles
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
This trail is perfect for families looking for a short hike to explore the marsh and Waddell Creek, or for birders seeking to find the next bird on their list. The Marsh Trail is teeming with life. Rabbits are frequently seen scurrying off the trail, while dragonflies swoop over the water, and birds flit among the willows growing near the creek. Due to the abundance of water, flowering plants have an especially long season here. The Marsh Trail connects the Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center to the Ranger Station by a bridge over Waddell Creek.
From approximately October – late April, this trail ends at Waddell Creek due to seasonal bridge removal.

Hoover Trail
Distance: .7 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
This out-and-back trail gives excellent views of the Waddell Marsh, Waddell Beach, and the Pacific Ocean. A variety of coastal plants decorate the side of the trail, before you eventually rise into the recovering Monterey pine forest.