The City of Santa Cruz’s 640-acre Pogonip Open Space Preserve encompasses beautiful redwood, mixed evergreen, live oak, and riparian forests, and fairly extensive grassland habitats with a wide variety of species. The preserve includes the uplands of the former Cowell Ranch and Sycamore Grove along the San Lorenzo River.
Directions. There are three ways to access Pogonip. First, from Hwy 1 take Hwy 9 north for 0.4 mile, and turn left on Golf Club Drive; continue and park near the gated entrance to the park. Alternatively, from Hwy 1 (Mission St) in Santa Cruz, take High St and turn right on Spring St; park at the end of Spring St. Or from the U.C. Santa Cruz campus, you may either park in the wide dirt pull-out along Glen Coolidge Dr north of its intersection with Hagar Dr or seek the fire road east of Stevenson College (parking permit required 8 AM. to 5 PM on weekdays). A network of trails leads throughout the park. A trail map is posted at the entrances and copies are usually available at the Golf Club Drive entrance. To reach Sycamore Grove follow Hwy 9 north out of Santa Cruz for about 0.9 mile and park in the large dirt pull-out (has a large sycamore and emergency phone) on the right. Trails lead to the river and parallel to the river through the grove, however, they are often somewhat overgrown or blocked by tree falls, and poison oak is plentiful.
Birds. Many forest birds can be found at Pogonip. Hairy Woodpecker, Hutton’s Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, and Purple Finch are among the widespread residents. Oak-dominated areas have Oak Titmouse and Acorn Woodpecker. Look for Pileated Woodpecker, Winter Wren, and Golden-crowned Kinglet in redwood and Douglas-fir forests, especially in the northern part of the park (Lime Kiln Trail and Fern Trail are especially recommended). Nesting species include Pacific-slope and Olive-sided flycatchers, Warbling Vireo, and Orange-crowned, Hermit and Black-throated Gray warblers. Varied Thrush is common some winters, and Townsend’s Warblers are very common. Check the grasslands near Golf Club Dr and adjacent to UCSC for nesting Western Meadowlark, and possible Grasshopper and Chipping sparrows, as well as migrant Western Kingbird. Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks, White-tailed Kite, and other raptors forage year-round over the meadows or perch in the adjacent trees.
Sycamore Grove’s extensive and grand riparian forest supports a wide range of nesting and wintering birds and also attracts rarities. Check the different bands of forest: sycamore and bay on the upper river terrace, cottonwood closer to the river, and willow and alder along the river edge. Nesting birds include Olive-sided and Pacific-slope flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Warbling Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Brown Creeper, Wilson’s and Orange-crowned warblers, Swainson’s Thrush, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Black-headed Grosbeak. Winter brings sapsuckers (three species recorded), Varied Thrush, and sometimes Evening Grosbeak (especially in the box elders on the upper terrace). Woodpeckers are plentiful all year. The river has Common Merganser, Wood Duck, and Green Heron; from late April into summer Vaux’s Swifts often forage with swallows over the river corridor.