Near the main entrance to the University of California, Santa Cruz lies the Cowell Lime Works Historic District. Lime was an essential building material in late 19th cent...
The railroad pictured here was not part of the north-south Southern Pacific or Ocean Shore Electric Railway that ran along the coast from Santa Cruz. It ran 3.5 miles in...
Guayule (Parthenium_argentatum) plants were grown in Salinas Valley, California from 1926 through 1945 as a source of rubber. A Mexican desert shrub with 20% pure, harves...
The lighthouse at Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, is an icon to locals and visitors alike. It is rich with history of the lighthouse keepers who raised families there, so...
In June 2015, we released our new app “Mobile Ranger Guides.” Since the release, we have continued our work with local historians, non-profit organizations, a...
Many of present-day parks established at the Spanish missions feature a chapel, cloistered buildings, and gardens around a central plaza. Nearby Missions San Juan Baptist...
Settlement in Santa Cruz has always been centered around the San Lorenzo River. In 1876, when the railroad began bringing tourists for fun in the sun, they came to Santa...
Surf scoters are named for their propensity to forage in ocean surf and dive through the foam of breaking waves. A flock of surf scoters will often dive in unison to conf...
California’s Santa Cruz Wharf is a common resting place of the oft-noisy sea lion (Zalophus californianus). You may also see harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) but they...
Swabby was a German shepherd and member of the Marine K-9 Corps during WWII. His remains lie in a grave at the slightly dilapidated Pine Knoll Pet Cemetery, in Santa Cruz...
