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| On Old Landing Cove Trail, Wilder Ranch State Park Photo by Kimo Elliott |
We spent Cinco de Mayo at Wilder Ranch State Park, just north of Santa Cruz on Highway One. It was Wilder’s first trip to Wilder Ranch! We didn’t name him after the ranch, which is a California State Park, but we both love to spend time there, at living history events in the old dairy farm buildings and hiking the coastal and redwood trails.
On a deserted Monday afternoon we took the scrub brush-lined Old Cove Landing Trail out to the coastal bluffs. Butterflies led our way down the path. We were thrilled when we came around a bend to a view of pristine Wilder Beach - completely off-limits to humans as a nature preserve. The water sparkled shades of aquamarine, and the sand was the smoothest buttery white I’d ever seen. It doesn’t get touched by human feet, so the mini dunes you see on most beaches are completely absent. When the ocean irons out the sand, it stays flat.
Around the windy corner (so windy we questioned our sanity at bringing a newborn on this hike), the ocean revealed two long thin juts of angular rock covered in green moss and white bird dung.
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| Poppies at Wilder Ranch Photo by Madeline Horn |
Our final destination was Fern Grotto Beach, easily accessible down a path with the baby strapped in his Moby Wrap. Two worlds meet on this beach - a pirates cove with rough surf and a fairytale sorcerers lair - the entrance to the cave dripping with ferns all shades of emerald. I worried about bringing Wilder too far in the cave entrance since I’ve heard that some cultures warn to keep babies away from caves. We couldn’t help posing for photos with the dramatic fern archway. Peeking in further, we saw a room that could only be accessed by crawling - not the kind of adventure we sought that day.
Aside from the wind, the hike was lovely, flat, and easy. It was my first adventure out towards the ocean from the historic center of the park. I would encourage anyone in good health to walk towards the ocean to find magical Fern Grotto Beach.
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| Kimo with Wilder - Old Landing Cove Trail Photo by Madeline Horn |
History of Wilder Ranch:
Ohlone Indians built temporary camps near the ocean to hunt elk, collect shellfish, and harvest wild grain on the land that is now Wilder Ranch until around 1,000 B.C. Once the Ohlones abandoned the site, humans did not return to settle it until 1769, when the Portola Expedition arrived. Spanish settlers built the Santa Cruz Mission in 1791 and they used the nearby land at Wilder Ranch to graze cattle to provide supplies for the Mission. In 1821, after Mexico’s liberation from Spain, land in the area was distributed to citizens through land grants. The land that is now Wilder Ranch State Park was granted to a Russian fur trader named Bolcoff. One building remains from this era, an adobe built in 1840. Bolcoff farmed dairy on the land with his family until he went into debt to a man named Meder who foreclosed on Bolcoff in the 1850s. Meder lived on the property with his family for about 20 years and built a home there. Eventually he sold the ranch to D.D. Wilder and a partner. When the partnership dissolved the Wilder family moved onto the ranch and stayed for five generations. The Wilders operated a dairy farm on the property for many years. Eventually they switched back to cattle ranching and leased out some agricultural land to farmers.
In 1969 the Wilder family sold the land to Moroto Investment Company, who planned to develop the land with commercial, industrial, and residential properties. Moroto abandoned their plans because of Coastal Commission restrictions and strong local opposition. Concerned members of the public worked together to preserve the land as open public space and stop the development. The issue was brought to the ballot and residents voted to put the land in public trust. Wilder Ranch was classified as a California State Park in 1976.
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| Wilder BeachPhoto by Madeline Horn |
Wilder Ranch Today:
Modern day Wilder Ranch includes beaches, tide pools, oak woodlands, freshwater streams, and wetlands. Some of the land is still used for agriculture, since it represents an important part of the area’s history. The historic core of the park includes the Bolcoff Adobe, a victorian house, an old farm house, and a museum. Wilder Ranch hosts special events that are the perfect family outing with living history reenactments, music, and food.
The coastal land north of Santa Cruz is dear to my heart - a mix of agriculture and remote beaches. A drive up Highway One always clears my mind. Thankfully, concerned citizens and organizations have worked hard to prevent commercial development of the area.
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| Fern Grotto Beach Photo by Kimo Elliott |
In 2005 The Trust for Public Land purchased 154 acres of land located directly north of Wilder Ranch named Sand Hill Bluff for $12 million. Sand Hill Bluff includes an Ohlone burial ground and a shell mound. Sand Hill Bluff will be protected along with Wilder Ranch and 407 acres of property called Coast Dairies, located immediately above Sand Hill Bluff. Together, Wilder Ranch, Sand Hill Bluff, and Coast Dairies form 13 miles of protected coastline, totaling 12,000 acres. Half of the land at Sand Hill Bluff is cultivated agriculturally, growing brussels sprouts and artichokes.
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| Fern Grotto Beach Photo by Kimo Elliott |
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| Madeline and Wilder with the barn, Wilder Ranch Photo by Madeline Horn |
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