Owned by the City of Santa Cruz, Loch Lomond Recreation Area has about 180 acres and 10 to 12 miles of trails that extend over a larger area. A reservoir (the county’s largest permanent body of freshwater) is surrounded by second growth redwood forest, and some chaparral areas interspersed with knobcone pines and oaks. Most of this area was initially logged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The park is open from March to mid-September, starting at from 6 a.m. Closing times vary throughout the season, and are posted on the park’s web site, www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/llra/llra.html, or call 831-420-5320. The entrance fee is $4 per car, and there are small fees for launching boats. Boats may be rented. No gasoline engines are allowed on the lake.
Directions. The route is very well marked with brown signs. From Graham Hill Rd in Felton, turn north onto East Zayante Rd. Go about 2.5 miles and turn left on Lompico Rd. Go about 1.5 miles and turn left on West Dr. Continue for about 0.75 mile to Sequoia Dr and turn right. Follow Sequoia Dr to the park entrance.
Birds. The park’s uplands host bird species typical of redwood forest: Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Band-tailed Pigeon, Steller’s Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Anna’s and Allen’s hummingbirds, and in winter, Varied and Hermit thrushes, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. Pileated Woodpeckers have recently become established in the park, and Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks both nest here.
The lake attracts Osprey year round, including two nest sites that were first active in 2004. Other waterbirds include Double-crested Cormorant, and resident breeding Pied-billed Grebe, Mallard, and Common Merganser. The park is closed during winter, when the assortment of waterbirds is at its best, but some of these, such as Wood Duck and Ring-necked Duck, may persist into March, when the park opens for the season. Belted Kingfisher regularly hunts over the lake, and migrant Common Loons might be seen there in spring. Black Phoebes and Acorn Woodpeckers are often on hand to greet visitors around the lake’s parking lot.
A spring kayak trip a half-mile or so up Newell Creek, at the head of the lake, can yield singing Winter Wren, Wilson’s Warbler, Warbling Vireo and Pacific-slope Flycatcher, with Orange-crowned Warbler, Oak Titmouse, and Hutton’s Vireo singing from nearby oak woodlands and knobcone pines.
The MacLaren loop (1.5 mile) goes along the reservoir shoreline, and then up through redwood and oak habitats. The Highland Loop (5 miles) covers these habitats and also chaparral and knobcone pine forest where it follows a ridge-top that offers great scenic views of the region.