Saratoga Quarry Park

"This is an unique blast to the past and there is a little tunnel at the entrance where there are pictures of the quarry stones being slashed into slabs. There are also some relics scattered throughout the park/trails. The park section is in front with a pond and playground. However, currently the pond is stuffed with dried up plants and unrecognizable. I assume the playground is under construction by the looks of the hills of tan bark, but I could still spot some pull up bars. You have the view of the skyline along the major trail and you can see downtown in the clouds. I actually hiked this in the rain today but it wasn't too muddy because a lot of the trail is made of smashed up stones so don't wear shoes with thin soles. Parking is free."

"Gorgeous view! Pretty easy hike, not very steep What I love most about it is that it's mostly in the shade. The longest hike I've done so far may be around an 8 mile round trip, however, if you want to keep going, you can. We just ran out of time. I highly recommend it. We've been on many hiking trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and this is one of my favorite trails. I highly recommend it."

"This is a nice hiking area, especially the "Trail to Skyline" that begins near the top of the park. However, on 3/23/23 the trail was blocked at the 4th bridge (see first photo). There is also a fair amount of poison oak overhanging the trail in several sections up to that point, probably due to the recent storms. You need to detour off the trail to avoid it. Aside from that, the trail passes some really nice streams and waterfalls that are active right now. EDIT 5/1/23: The trail is still a mess up top, but you can squeeze through and under/over the fallen trees (see two new photos). There is one short section where the path was destroyed where a tree was uprooted, and another lower down where the cliff calved off into the ravine. You can pass both sections if you stay to the side. There is still a lot of poison oak encroaching the sides of the trail. EDIT 5/23/23: Trail has been cleared of fallen wood and is fully passable all the way up to Sanborn (see final two photos). There are some remaining areas where tall grasses are overgrowing the path, so watch for ticks. EDIT 7/4/23: This is a great hike on a hot day because it's mostly shaded. There are still sections 3/4 of the way up where tall grasses really should be weed whacked away from the path so they don't become tick havens."

"The beginning of the quarry park trail is pretty steep, but the county park trail is a mild slope and woody. The main path has lots of shady parts with lovely benches, which were done by the boy scout project. This trail continues to the skyline and to the beach. The quarry park area also has a beautiful picnic table. Some of the picnic tables are in a closed area which is excellent for family gatherings. I saw a couple who enjoyed a cheese plate at the quarry park picnic table. There is a pond in the sign, but it is a dry pond. It might be a pond in the Winter season. If you are a dog lover, this is a good place to walk with your dog."