Wilder Ranch State Park

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a farmer. Not because I knew anything about crops or animals. I didn't know one cow from the other, and most field crops were just some variety of "wheat." But I was fascinated by the process and the trappings--the equipment, the barns and sheds, the tools, and even the smells. I still enjoy walking through old farm vuildings. There are three great historical barns in the Weekly Walker series--Upper Pierce Ranch at Point Reyes; the Burleigh Murray Ranch south of Half Moon Bay, and this week's visit to Wilder Ranch near Santa Cruz. Check out www weeklywalker.com for the Point Reyes and Burleigh-Murray walks.

Wilder Ranch and the adjacent Gray Whale Ranch total 8,300 acres of coastal beach and backcountry forest with 33 miles of trails. The ranch is rich in history starting with the Ohlone Indians several thousand years ago. In the late 1700s, Padres from the Santa Cruz Mission introduced livestock raising to the area, and soon large herds of cattle roamed from Point Ano Nuevo to the Pajaro River over what was then the Rancho del Matadero. The Rancho was renamed Rancho Refugio and deeded to a doldier named Joaquin Castro in the late 1830s. Castro's daughter Maria married Jose Bolcoff, a Russian sailor who introduced dairy farming to the ranch. Jose and Maria raised 14 children at the ranch, and part of their adobe home still stands. Title to the property changed in 1854 when Moses Meder foreclosed on the ranch. Meder continued the dairy operation until 1870 when he sold the ranch to D.D. Wilder and l.K. Baldwin. Wilder took over full operation of the ranch in 1885, and the property continued in family ownership until the late 1960s when it was sold for residential and commercial development. Local opposition to this plan led to the purchase by the state in 1975.

There is much more to the history of this ranch, so be sure to walk through the historical ranch buildings and visitors center. A self-guided walking tour brochure is available for a quick introduction to 13 points of interest, including my favorites--the woodworking and blacksmith shops and the two barns. Docent-led hikes are available most weekends. Call (408) 726-0505 for information.

The Old Cove Landing Trail starts at the parking lot and leads across the railroad tracks toward the coastal bluffs. Following a wide ranch road, you will soon overlook the wetland of Wilder Creek as it dumps to the ocean, and a short distance farther is the Wilder Beach Natural Preserve, a protected area for the timid snowy plover shorebird. On your right are views of 900 acres of coastal bluff under agricultural use. The crop is brussel sprouts, and we readthat 12 percent of our national production comes from Wilder Ranch. The trail turns north and winds along the edge of the bluff to Old Landing Cove. Small schooners anchored in this cove in the late 1800s to load lumber from nearby sawmills. Continue along the bluff to Fern Grotto Beach. Watch for post number 8, which marks a spur trail leading to the beach. At the back of the cove is Fern Cave with bracken and swordferns hanging from the ceiling. The cave structure protects the ferns, while an underground spring keeps them moist and cool. When we visited this area earlier in the year, a whale carcass was rotting in the cove, adding another point of interest. A little farther on is a larger, crescent-shaped beach, an ideal spot for a picnic lunch.

Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome.

E-mail to: trekertom@aol.com.

Footnote: Check out the Weekly Walker Web at www.weeklywalker.com.