🥾 ActiveDay trip · from San Francisco, CA
Ancient Redwoods & Coastal Elephant Seals
Walk beneath 2,000-year-old coast redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, then follow clifftop trails above wild beaches where hundreds of elephant seals haul ashore — two of California’s most spectacular natural encounters in a single day.
Day 1 — Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Day 1 — Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Day 1 — Big Basin Redwoods State Park
🚗 2 hr 51 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
San Francisco, CA → Big Basin Redwoods State Park
1 hr 15 min
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
★ Reviews →Walk among coast redwoods towering over 300 feet and dating back 2,000 years along the Redwood Trail, where cathedral groves carpeted with ferns and morning mist make this one of the most magical forests in California.
~2 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Boulder Creek Country Club Bar & Grill
★ Reviews →A Santa Cruz Mountains restaurant with American classics in a golf club setting that's more welcoming than it sounds. A reliable midday stop in the redwoods.
~1 hr📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Big Basin Redwoods State Park → Año Nuevo State Park
20 min
Año Nuevo State Park
★ Reviews →Hike dramatic coastal bluffs above sandy dunes where hundreds of elephant seals haul ashore to rest and breed — one of the most spectacular wildlife encounters on the California coast, with guided trails weaving through seal colonies just steps from the Pacific.
~2 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Año Nuevo State Park → Loma Mar Outpost
8 min
Loma Mar Outpost
★ Reviews →A hidden gem tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains serving seasonal California cuisine with ingredients from nearby farms. Warm, unhurried, and genuinely delicious — the kind of place you'd drive back for.
~1 hr📍 See location
🚗
Drive
Loma Mar Outpost → San Francisco, CA
1 hr 8 min
← All San Francisco trips
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