Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail
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Waddell Beach, Pacific Ocean Castle Rock State Park California
| Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail | |
|---|---|
 The 70 ft. (21 m) Berry Creek Falls, as seen from the wooden viewing platform | |
 | |
| Length | 29.5 mi (47.5 km) |
| Location | Santa Cruz County, California, USA |
| Trailheads | Saratoga Gap, California Waddell Beach, Pacific Ocean Castle Rock State Park California |
| Use | Hiking |
| Elevation change | 2,600 ft (790 m) |
| Highest point | Saratoga Gap, 2,600 ft (790 m) |
| Lowest point | Waddell Beach, 0 ft (0 m) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Season | May 1st through November 1st |
| Sights | Castle Rock State Park Big Basin State Park |
| Hazards | Severe Weather |
The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is a 29.5-mile (47.5 km) hiking trail that descends from the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California to the Pacific Ocean, passing through Castle Rock State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Big Basin is California's oldest state park. In August 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex fires damaged much of the route and the trail remains mostly closed.
The trail was started in 1969 by the Sempervirens Fund of Conservation Associates of the Sierra Club and was extended to the Pacific by 1978 with the acquisition of the Hoover Ranch near Waddell Beach.[1] Planning began in 1968,[2] with the initial trail segment to follow the state-controlled right-of-way along SR 9, linking Saratoga Gap to Big Basin.[3] A "trail breaking party" was scheduled for April 1969;[4] local Boy Scouts participated in building the trail.[5] During that event, the first of what would become annual "Trail Days" cleanups, nearly 2,500 volunteers cleared and created almost 45 mi (72 km) of trails, including the first segment of Skyline-to-the-Sea.[5][6][7]
The final segment, extending the western terminus to the Pacific Ocean at Waddell Beach, opened to the public in July 1978. It traverses the Rancho del Oso area of Big Basin, which was acquired by the state in 1977.[8] Prior to the expansion of Big Basin, individual permission was required to follow the trail to the sea over private lands.[9] The Sempervirens Fund launched a new project in 1979 to acquire an additional 45 acres (18 ha) of land for the trail, with the goal of relocating it further away from SR 9.[10]
After the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires, the trail closed, along with much of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. As of February 2025, the trail remains mostly closed and its future is unclear;[11] some portions of the trail have been reopened, but no overnight camping is allowed.[12][13]
