Quail Hollow Ranch County Park is tucked into a sunny, picturesque valley just east of Ben Lomond, CA. It is a Natural Reserve, formerly a working horse ranch, and one of Santa Cruz County’s best-kept secrets.
Friends of Quail Hollow Ranch County Park was founded to preserve and enhance the unique natural bounty of the park, and to help maintain the cultural resources it embodies.
Vision: Improving, restoring and preserving Quail Hollow’s ecosystem as an exceptional habitat for native plants and animals and providing natural history programs so that visitors of all ages can appreciate, respect, support and be inspired by QH.
Mission: Friends exists to improve, protect and celebrate Quail Hollow Ranch County Park as an ecological treasure by promoting exemplary stewardship and by supporting informative public programs.
Within its 300 acres reside several unique plant communities, including rare Santa Cruz sandhills habitats, a dwarf redwood forest, a pond, and the tallest Red Willow in California. Added to Quail Hollow’s considerable biological interest is the fact that the historic ranch house used to be the test kitchen and garden for Sunset Magazine, that arbiter of California domestic style.
In addition to 5 miles of hiking trails (no dogs or bikes on trails), Quail Hollow offers loads of classes and tours, from history tours to bird watching to stargazing, and much more. Visit the Friends of Quail Hollow Facebook page for news of events.
- Visitor Center calendar
- Link to events sign ups
- Come and visit the park; it’s open!
- Take a hike or ride your horse (trail map here)
- Check out the summer camps and workshops
- Bring a picnic – tables are on the Sunset trail and at the visitor center
- Become a volunteer
