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December 2023 by Gryndle Mcfinnigan
If it doesn't counter all their adolescent arguments with logic, a liberal will hug it.Trees, your silence has spoken for you.
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September 2023 by Wendy Mar
Beautiful trail through the redwoods, along the railroad tracks and down to the river. A few other small groups of people down there, but plenty of room for all to enjoy. The water was cool. Alot of shallow parts for the little kids to play in and a bunch of deeper swimming holes. Hike back up well get your blood pumping. Well worth the trip!Restrooms: No restrooms or Porta pottys.
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July 2023 by Emerson Cody
Overall a very nice spot to spend a warm day. The trail down to the beach area is not too steep and can be done somewhat well by children. There is a small "waterfall" which flows over some rocks, and a deeper "pool" area which I've seen people jump into (however, this is not allowed). The beach has a stretch of sand with rocky areas off to either side - watch for twisted ankles and potentially snakes. How crowded it is probably depends on the day - today, July 3rd, was very crowded by about 3pm, so leave early. There is some amount of litter, more so at the top of the path down to the river.No alcohol, no dogs, no diving. Don't take anything too heavy as it may be a pain to carry, especially back up the path - towels, backpack with snacks and water, sunscreen. Some of the beach is shaded, but much of it isn't especially later in the day. TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU. Nobody wants to see your KFC bags.Do be advised that there are not any restrooms at the beach or on the way to it. Take a leak in the woods, or away from anyone else.CRUCIAL INFORMATION: much of the walk to the Garden of Eden is done along railroad tracks - in some spots, you cannot walk alongside the tracks, and instead must walk ON them. These tracks ARE in use, by Roaring Camp's Santa Cruz train. Always check their website for the Santa Cruz train's schedule before walking on the tracks. Sometimes you may need to wait for a train to cross the trestle bridge at San Lorenzo River before walking on the tracks. It takes 15 minutes to reach the trestle bridge after departing from Roaring Camp, and 45 minutes to reach the bridge after departing from Santa Cruz.Be advised that you should check the train schedule before departing, as there is little to no cell service in this area. Always keep a watch or phone on hand or on wrist so you can check the time.Directions from Henry Cowell parking lot: walk Pipeline Road (paved) down to the trestle bridge over the San Lorenzo River. DO NOT walk over the trestle bridge - there should be a footbridge which goes over the river instead. (The trestle bridge is private property and posted no trespassing, but many walk it anyway. This may be dangerous if a train is coming, and there are gaps in between the wooden planks which go down to the river below.) After crossing the footbridge, walk straight until you reach the signs prohibiting alcohol/dogs/bikes. On your right facing the sign is a trail which has a dip in it. From there is a narrow trail leading up to the train tracks - if a train is scheduled to come back within thirty minutes, leave this part of the trail and do something else for a while, or watch the train from a safe distance. From there, take a right away from the trestle. The path down to Eden's Garden is just to the left of two sign posts - one has two brown signs, the other has two white.Eden's Garden the railroad tracks, and the rest of the pathways to/from it are photogenic when not busy. Again, keep it photogenic and take your trash with you.Good luck, and have fun!
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July 2023 by M Flores
Great hidden gem ? make sure to bring your hiking shoes and a backpack with extra clothes. The water was nice, remember no bathrooms and if you make trash make sure to pack it up when you leave.
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May 2023 by Keenan Roop
It's still early in the season so the water is flowing fast and pretty cool but the pools are nice and deep. Spend some time sunning on the nice flat rocks. There's a sandy beach and plenty of room.Parking: Parking is just off the side of the highway. Room for about 40 vehicles and spaces go relatively quickly but turn over is also relatively quick.Restrooms: There are no restrooms available.Dog-friendliness: There are signs saying no dogs, but there are plenty of dogs down there anyway.
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February 2023 by Julie
Beautiful views after a slightly strenuous down-hill hike. These hidden gem is well worth the traverse.
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October 2022 by Annabelle R.
I spent a Saturday afternoon hiking at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, getting lost in the forest among the massive towering trees, and running along the dirt-covered train tracks. Don't worry, I wasn't being chased by a train, I purposely came there to run (note, there are "no trespassing" signs, so you venture along the train tracks at your own risk). Following the tracks, you'll see below, parallel to it, the river that turns into the Garden of Eden lagoon. Peaceful, isolated, with no other visitors in sight while I was there this past weekend, the whole area was pristine and picturesque (no pesky college kids or trash laying around as other reviewers have described... but maybe that's cuz it's October). Just a flowing river forming tiny waterfalls over the giant rocks in the water. A hidden oasis and sandy shore in the middle of the forest! There's a bit of climbing needed to get to and from the swimming hole, but it's not too steep and totally worth the trek. The best place to park is Henry Cowell "Ox Parking Lot" off Highway 9 (it looks like a turnout area along the highway and can easily be missed). Don't google map "Garden of Eden", it will lead to the middle of the forest, and there is no vehicle access. The Garden of Eden is gorgeous, and feels like stepping inside a Thomas Kinkade painting. Will definitely be back.
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October 2022 by Gio Gujarati
A beautiful slice of California outdoors. Short hike to the swim hole. It deserves its name. Stunning spot. Very popular, so get there early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Water is always cold.
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September 2022 by Mike G.
Easy to find. Not too crowded in September. The river water was cold and semi low this time of year. Will visit again next spring. Over, we enjoyed the hike the best.
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September 2022 by Borincana Zambrana
Beautiful place to swim. Very refreshing!!! We parked by the street at Oxford rd trail and walked 17 minutes to find this beautiful place. Worth the walked! No dogs allowed.
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July 2022 by A C.
This is a nice lil hike down the railroad tracks. Lots of folks here but fun dipping in the lil pools. Mix of young people and families go take a look its an easy hike.
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July 2022 by Fawaz Koussa
Absolutely beautiful! Water is ice cold but a great place to swim and have a good time. Fish everywhere!
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June 2022 by Lisa G
This is a lovely little swimming hole, a fairly steep hike down and back up after. We actually parked in the main parking at HC and walked along the tracks. That made it more of an adventure which suited us, but there are closer places to park on 9.
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January 2022 by Maruf Zaber
Very nice day retreat from the Bay Area!
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December 2021 by Noela Acha
This place is such a GEM. My boyfriend and I enjoyed it. It’s very beautiful and the scenery is amazing. It can get crowded ( it’s beautiful) but you can explore if you need quiet.Depending on where you park, shouldn’t take you more than 30 mins to walk there.
