Last week two of my daughters and I went to Santa Cruz for a wonderful cliffside hike by the Pacific Ocean at Wilder Ranch State Park, two miles north of Sant Cruz. 

Hike with gorgeous ocean views

Wilder Ranch state park was recommended by my friend Padmini who suggested that it had beautiful ocean views.  To be honest I had no idea what to expect but what we saw blew our minds! 

The hike at Wilder Ranch is one of the best we have been on in a long while.  The scenery here is right out of a blockbuster movie with sweeping ocean views, majestic cliffs, and a hike that leaves you feeling exhilarating from all the beauty around you.  Here is a look at this scenic hike in Santa Cruz, California.

Humble start.

The beginning of the trail at Wilder Ranch starts off like any other hike, a dirt path with natural vegetation.

Not your ordinary hike with surprise around every corner

But within a few minutes of walking the trail turns into “not your ordinary hike” as you  start to hear the happy sounds of ocean waves and then “Wow” you come to this view and see the ocean! This was our first stop on our trail.

We took so many photos here thinking this may be our last sighting of the beautiful blue waters but what awaited us ahead was even more breathtaking than we could have ever imagined!

The jagged cliffs and crashing waves

Moving along the trail what I didn’t realize is that we would be walking along the cliff sides with ocean views all the way up our 4-mile hike. Each stopping point more beautiful than the next.

Wilder Ranch Wildflowers

A total surprise here were the vast fields of wildflowers that seem to run right into the ocean!!   Wildflowers as far as the eye can see flank both sides of the trail.

Beautiful flowers is shades of pale pink, lavender, snow white and yellow.  Absolutely gorgeous!!  I feel these pictures don’t do justice to these wildflowers.

Wilder Ranch Wildflowers 🌺🌸🌾.

Moving along to Fern beach cove

Continuing along the trail we came across a few beach access points that take you down the cliffs to the beaches below where one can dip their feet in the cool Pacific ocean.

The girls trekked down to this beach called Fern beach, while I stayed up on the cliffs to watch them down below.

These are the pics the girls took at the beach.

Can you spot the birds sitting on these rocks?

Dramatic rock formations and perfect photo ops

Continuing on our trail we came upon rock dramatic rock formations.

By mile 3 we could hear the sounds of seals

We could have continued on for another three miles, but decided to head back instead. The seals were our last stop before we turned around and headed back.

I hope you enjoyed our hike through Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz, California. If you are heading to the park get there early as it is a popular destination and the later you go the more people will be on the trails.  The trails range from simple 2-mile hike, moderate 3-4 mile hike to longer 6-8 mile hike.  A map at the entrance provides details on the different trails and what you can see on those hikes.

For a fun filled morning hike with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and wildflowers Wilder Ranch State Park is a gem worth visiting.   For more information take a look at this link Wilder Ranch State Park.

Stay well and healthy. Wishing you a good Monday. Have a fabulous week everyone.