Read the stories that will help you get to know the San Lorenzo River.
The San Lorenzo River will take you from the Pedestrian Bridge near Highway 1, along willow lined waterways, past cultural hotspots and end where the river meets the sea at the Boardwalk. This three mile walking tour has ten stops that will reveal hidden pockets of biodiversity, early settlor history and some of the river’s watershed secrets. This tour was made possible by the Coastal Watershed Council (CWC). It is one component of the CWCs vision to have the San Lorenzo River become a healthy watershed connected to a vibrant community. We highlight a few stops below but the main content can be found in the mobile app or read in blog form at the bottom of this page.
The San Lorenzo hosted the “Venetian Water Carnival” for decades. Long Live Queen Anita!
Picture courtesy of and © Santa Cruz Public Library.
Look out for the many critters that make their homes in and around the San Lorenzo River.
Nearing the mouth of the river, discover the balancing act of the needs for public safety and flood control.
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Many towns have rivers running through them. Often, the river has been integrated into urban planning and is a vital resource used and loved by the commun ...
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The intrinsic beauty of northern California's San Lorenzo River camouflages the challenges and efforts of maintaining the health of the river ecosystem. T ...
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The San Lorenzo is the largest (and possibly the most beautiful) watershed in Santa Cruz County, spanning 135 square miles. The last stretch of the river ...
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The San Lorenzo River was once home to very large numbers of coho salmon and steelhead trout. Tourists from across the state visited Santa Cruz to fish in ...
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If you live in a watershed, does that make you an aquatic creature? Of course not! A watershed is the geographic area that drains to a common surface or w ...
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There have been several bridges at the site of the present-day Soquel Bridge. This location has served as an essential crossing point throughout the river ...
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Can you guess how many different bridges have stood at this location? The Water Street Bridge was first built at this location in 1882. The first bridges ...
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The San Lorenzo River mouth marks the end of a 29 mile long river as it enters the Monterey Bay. If you are there you can see birds diving underwater, peo ...
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As you travel around Santa Cruz, chances are, you have crossed the San Lorenzo River. In the City of Santa Cruz, there are four street crossings over the ...
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The complex balance of humans and nature on the San Lorenzo River is prominently seen in the ongoing conversation about how to manage the river lagoon. Pr ...
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Depending on when you visit the river mouth, the river may or may not be flowing out to the bay. The interplay between sand moved by ocean currents and th ...
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All of downtown Santa Cruz is essentially built on the natural floodplain of the San Lorenzo River. Structures to control flooding along the river have be ...
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