Why Felton, California, the Gateway of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Is Worth a Visit in Its Own Right

Nestled deep in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains sits Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, known for its coastal forest featuring sky-high redwood trees, banana slugs, and railroads. Santa Cruz is, of course, the town best known in the area with its university, boardwalk, affiliation with the sea, and its feature in the 1987 classic “The Lost Boys.” However, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park’s main entrance isn’t in Santa Cruz, but in Felton, and although Santa Cruz might have vampires, Felton has magical children from the Disney movie “Escape to Witch Mountain.”

Felton feels as if you took the chill Santa Cruz vibes and turned the emphasis away from the beach and toward the forest instead. Still relatively undiscovered by tourists, the town is small and quaint, feeling genuine without the obvious try-hard appeal for tourism that the neighboring Bay Area towns boast. Mom-and-pop stores litter the main streets, with restaurants and stores keeping a down-to-earth attitude and maintaining the town’s connection with nature through products or architecture. 

The town was originally created after an offshoot of the Gold Rush craze came to the Santa Cruz Mountains. However, it soon became apparent that the true cash cow of this area wasn’t in gold but in lumber. The area became a logging community, and railroads quickly sprung up to connect the small community to the coast. The logging started to die off in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the railroads used for tourism and other transport. In the 1970s, much of the logging was outlawed and Felton turned toward tourism. 

This change wasn’t a big stretch, as Felton had always been a town built with nature in mind. There were many campgrounds, trails, and creeks to explore, and the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, of course. Biking became more popular, as did horseback riding, and local shops with handmade goods popped up alongside the beloved restaurants.

Some of the town’s main attractions outside of the state park are also dedicated to its history and the surrounding land. This includes the Roaring Camp Railroad, where steam trains wait to take you through the redwoods. Then, there’s the Felton Covered Bridge, which (built in 1882) is considered to be the tallest covered bridge in all of the United States. Then, there’s the kooky Bigfoot Museum or the more elegant Hallcrest Vineyards — a staple in the area since 1941.

Although many tourists might pass through Felton quickly on their way to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (which is understandable, it’s a pretty fantastic park), Felton has a way of pulling you in slowly, be it for lunch, a stroll through a farmers market, or perhaps another outdoor activity. This small but mighty town is more than the entrance to the state park and is worth a visit in its own right.