Fall Creek Trail
6.0 miles     800 ft
25 Dec 2012
Summary

One of the best winter hikes in the bay area, all along a creek.

Location: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - Fall Creek Unit

Elevation Profile
Trip Planning

Trail Maps

» Redwood Hikes Map for Big Ben - Fall Creek hike: An excellent map by Dave Baselt showing Fall Creek Trail.

» Official Trail Map: High quality trail map with countours and trails clearly shown.

» Redwood Hikes Map: Annotated trail map of San Lorenzo Valley that shows many parks, not just Henry Cowell. This is an excellent map sold by Dave Baselt ($6.95 in Jan 2012).

» PeasePress Map: Trails of Santa Cruz: Excellent quality map showing various parks in the Santa Cruz area.

Route
From the parking lot on Felton Empire Road, follow Bennett Creek Trail (0.2 miles). Then turn fall onto Fall Creek Trail (2.8 miles) until it reaches an interesection with Big Ben Tree Trail and Truck Trail. Retrace your steps from this point, back to the parking lot.

Notes: There are four or five foot bridges along Fall Creek. These wash away in heavy rains. The creek may still be crossed but with caution. In Dec 2012, there were many fallen trees along the way, adding fun to our experience.

Trailhead

Location: 1400 Felton Empire Rd Felton, CA 95018 . Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: Along CA 17 south, exit Mount Hermon Rd in Scotts Valley. Drive 3.5 miles northwest along Mount Hermon Rd. Turn right on Graham Hill Road. In 0.1 miles, go through traffic light (Graham Hill becomes Felton Empire Rd at this intersection). Drive about 0.6 miles on Felton Empire Rd. Turn into a large parking lot marked by a sign for Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: Jan 2012)

Capacity: About 20 cars. At 8am, we were the first ones to park. When we finished the hike by 1:30pm, the parking lot was full.

Latitude: 37.049718     Longitude: -122.083155

Fall Creek

Fall Creek Trail meanders 2.3 miles next to a creek which has plenty of water in winter and spring.

© Copyright 2008—2023, Gurmeet Manku.