Arana Gulch

This is a little secret that most folks don’t know about in Santa Cruz. Believe it or not there is a good sized dog friendly (on-​leash) park right next to the Santa Cruz harbor that makes for a great afternoon walk! Currently it’s a bit of a mess as they are paving a multi-​use trail right through the center of it but that should be done by November 2014. The new trail will have a connection to Broadway St. You can get to the trails either from the north end of the harbor or a short trek off of Soquel drive near Whaler’s car wash or Agnes St. The more fun single track trails that run around the perimeter are still mostly all accessible. The park runs in between these spots and has great elevated views of the north harbor and of the Santa Cruz mountains looking towards Mt. Umunhum. I love this little gem of a park!

«If a tree falls in the woods, and there’s no one there to hear it, how will the Environmentalists react?»
~Anonymous
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m an avid indoorsman who’s highly regarded for my skill at building rubber band balls, paperclip chains, staple removal and writing Unilocal reviews. I like to take a break once in a while and get outside to clear my head… or destroy printers with a baseball bat like those guys from Office Space. When I do get out, I like to take a walk in Arana Gulch.
Arana Gulch is a rich habitat of wetlands, live oak forest, and coastal terrace prairie that is quite literally in my backyard. Trails run through the open space from either Agnes Street to the north or the Santa Cruz Harbor from the south. Hiking and biking are allowed on the primary trail north to south, but the real beauty is in the loop that encircles the prairie and that’s only open to hikers. When you walk here, you’re instantly transported to a natural wonderland full of ancient oak trees that grow over the trail. Spring is a perfect time to visit Arana Gulch as amazing wildflowers are in bloom all over the prairie in whites, pinks and purples.
You’ll definitely never be alone here. This space is well used by hikers, walkers, bicyclists, dog owners, birdwatchers, homeless folks who camp nearby and some kids who like to smoke «the pot». If you search the bushes hard enough you might find some interesting things. On a recent walk I saw tighty-​whiteys hanging from a tree branch, a full tent setup in the underbrush, and someone’s water supply. The best find ever however was when I was 10 years old and my friend and I found a whole stash of porn mags on the bluff overlooking the harbor.
That was seriously a good day.
Anyway go to Arana Gulch, you’ll never know what you’ll find.