Garden of Eden
Santa Cruz (Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park) · near Felton / Santa Cruz · SF Bay Area
Swimming & Hot Springs
At a glance
- Temperature
- ~68–76°F (July–September)
- Cost
- $10 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park day use fee
- Season
- June–October · Best July–September when water is warmest
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
- Safety
- Current can be significant earlier in the season — wait for July conditions. Rocky river bottom requires water shoes or sandals. The path includes some tree-root scrambling in the forest section.
Swimming & Hot Springs detail
- Nickname
- Henry Cowell's River Swimming
- Type
- swimming-hole
- Temp
- cool
- Clothing optional
- No
- Directions
- Enter Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park at the main entrance on Hwy 9 (Felton). Take the Rincon Fire Road trail approximately 1.5 miles through the redwood forest to the San Lorenzo River swimming area. Well-marked trail from the parking area.
- Pools
- Series of San Lorenzo River pools beneath old-growth redwoods · Sandy beach areas for relaxing · Shallow wading sections and deeper swimming stretches · The river corridor stays shaded through the trees, which keeps the setting pleasant even on hot days
- Intl tip
- Henry Cowell Redwoods connects to the Roaring Camp Railroad, a narrow-gauge steam train that runs from Felton to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk — one of the most enjoyable summer excursions in the Santa Cruz area. The park's redwood cathedral grove (accessible from the main parking area with no hiking required) is among the finest accessible old-growth redwood stands in the Bay Area.
The guide
Santa Cruz's version of the swimming hole — redwood-shaded San Lorenzo River pools accessible through Henry Cowell Redwoods Sta…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Garden of Eden — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.0449, -122.0581