Wilder Ranch State Park
Latest News
The Meder House currently hosts a mini–Visitor Center and ParkStore until the main Visitor Center is rebuiltAbout
Wilder Ranch State Park covers approximately 7,000 acres, with 34 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails winding through coastal terraces and valleys. Several buildings once belonging to the Wilder family have been restored. Explore the history of early ranchers and farmers along the Central Coast through tours and living history demonstrations.
The site was originally the main rancho supplying Santa Cruz Mission, and later became a successful and innovative dairy ranch. The grounds include Victorian homes, barns, shops, gardens and a historic adobe. Major wetlands restoration projects have attracted some of the original flora and fauna back to the area.
The Wilder Ranch Farm Animal Program, a rotating assemblage of cows, goats, sheep, chickens and cats, contributes to the living history atmosphere at the park’s cultural preserve. The animals bring the ranch to life for visitors with a sampling of species that lived at Wilder Ranch when it was a working ranch. Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks provides the funding for their care, including food and veterinary services.
Learn more in the California State Parks brochure: English
Directions
From Santa Cruz, go north on Highway 1 about 2 miles past Western Drive and turn left.
Check the Santa Cruz METRO schedule for public transportation options.
Things to do
TrailsA 35-mile network of multi-use trails crosses the park. Bicycles, please obey 15 mph speed limit; stop when approaching a horseback rider; walk bicycles through ranch complex and be respectful of hikers.
Interpretive ProgramsThe Cultural Preserve area — a rodeo arena, ranch buildings, and three restored workshops run by water power — has early farm implements and tools. Docents at Wilder Ranch often dress in period clothing for interpretive tours and living history demonstrations. Check the calendar for program topics and times.
Beach AreaWilder Ranch has several pocket beaches, some of which are popular surf breaks.
Visitor Center
The Meder House currently hosts a mini–Visitor Center and ParkStore until the main Visitor Center is rebuilt.
A flash flood at Wilder Ranch State Park in January 2024 significantly damaged the park’s historic dairy ranch.
Four inches of rain fell overnight on Jab, 21, causing Wilder Creek to catastrophically overflow its banks, inundating the Visitor Center and ParkStore, historic Cow Barn and washing away ranch fencing. The Visitor Center and ParkStore are closed pending cleanup and rebuilding. Shop online.
Through our unique position as operating partners with California State Parks, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks has established the Wilder Ranch Recovery Fund. The fund will provide short-term support, followed by investments in long-term recovery work to ensure public access, historical preservation and environmental protection at Wilder Ranch State Park. Donate today.
ParkStore
The Meder House hosts a mini-ParkStore. Shop the rest of the collection online!
The Wilder Ranch ParkStore Online sells an assortment of farm-related merchandise, as well as historical toys and books that celebrate the park’s history as a Victorian-era dairy farm. It also carries field guides and merchandise related to the incredible diversity of wildlife a visitor might see while hiking and biking in the park, including birds, mountain lions, bobcats, sea life and wildflowers. The store offers a variety of apparel and souvenirs featuring Michael Schwab’s iconic Wilder Ranch image. We also carry apparel and stickers featuring the historic Wilder Ranch cattle brand.
Fees and Passes
An Automatic Pay Machine is available to pay for parking, in addition to our friendly kiosk staff. Parking is $10 and supports the park. Credit card payments are encouraged. Annual State Parks passes also are available to purchase at the entrance kiosk.
Services
- Restrooms
- Picnic areas
- Accessibility: The cultural preserve and the Old Cove Landing Trail are ADA-accessible. Call the Interpretive Center at 831-426-0505 for current information on tour accessibility and parking, or learn more in the Hilltromper Wheelchair-Friendly Trails Guide.
- Interpretive programs
- Horse camp
Camping
The campground is open!
There are six first-come, first-served sites for visitors with horses. For access to the horse camp, call 831-423-9703. There is no other camping offered at the park.
Field Trips
This is a Kids2Parks Participating Park!
Kids2Parks is an innovative park-equity program to bring students from Title 1 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 all Title 1 schools in Santa Cruz County and select Title 1 schools in San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Learn more.
Volunteer
Volunteers give heart and soul to the “Life on the Ranch” and other activities that make Wilder Ranch State Park such a fun, interesting, hands-on place to visit. Volunteer docents help with school group programs, present living history demonstrations, put on events like the annual Harvest Festival, help care for farm animals, lead hikes and building tours and host the visitor center. Wilder Ranch is especially seeking volunteers to help on weekdays with its “Ranch Kids Day” program, where school-children experience local history as they visit a host of hands-on stations led by docents.
History
Wilder Ranch State Park is in the unceded homelands of the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone Tribe known as the Uypi, who stewarded these lands since time immemorial. Centuries of colonial violence led to the removal and displacement of the Uypi. Today, their descendants continue their stewardship and presence here, in partnership with State Parks.
Native Ohlone people made the region their homeland for millennia, and evidence shows they had villages at Wilder Ranch. From 1791 to 1835 the site was the main rancho supplying Mission Santa Cruz. In the 1830s the land, known as Rancho del Refugio, was granted to three daughters of Joaquin Castro, including Maria Candida Castro and her husband Jose Antonio Bolcoff, a Russian sailor who jumped ship to become a naturalized Mexican citizen. Bolcoff built two adobes (one of which remains today).
In 1854 Moses Meder acquired a large portion of the rancho, constructing a home, which is now the front portion of the old farmhouse known as the Meder House. He expanded dairy and farming, building a creamery, dairy barn and other buildings. In 1871 Levi K. Baldwin and Deloss D. Wilder purchased 4,160 acres of the former rancho and built a new creamery. Their partnership lasted until 1885 when the Wilder family obtained the lower lands on Meder Creek. The Wilder Family worked the land for five generations and nearly a century, building the Victorian farm house in 1897 and employing such innovations as harnessing water power to drive their equipment and the first electric lighting system in the county.
The Wilder Family ran the ranch until 1969 when property taxes exceeded farm income. In the 1970s, the land was proposed for a development of up to 10,000 homes. Local residents formed Operation Wilder to oppose the plan and county citizens voted to protect the open space. After continued advocacy, the State allocated $6 million for the property and in 1974 State Parks acquired the land. Learn more about how the park was created.
Today Wilder Ranch State Park covers approximately 7,000 acres, with 34 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Major wetland restoration projects have attracted some of the original flora and fauna back to the area. In the cultural complex, visitors can explore Victorian homes, barns, shops, gardens, the historic Bolcoff adobe, and discover the history of early ranchers and farmers through tours, living history demonstrations and special events.
Regulations
- Fires and smoking are not permitted on any trail.
- All natural and cultural park features are protected by law. Do not remove or harm plants, animals or other features of the park.
- Bicycles, please obey 15 mph speed limit; stop when approaching a horseback rider; walk bicycles through ranch complex and be respectful of hikers.
- Dogs are not allowed in the park.
Recreate Responsibly
Before you visit, check the Recreate Responsibly page to protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these measures during your visit.
More Info
(831) 423-9703