Stories and guides
Around Town
Local guides, history, and practical notes about living in and visiting Boulder Creek.
The BCVFD Summer BBQ & Dance
The BCVFD Summer BBQ & Dance is Saturday, August 22, 2026, 5:30 to 11 p.m. at the Boulder Creek fire station. Dinner, three live bands, dancing, and money toward rescue and medical equipment.
How Boulder Creek Prepares for a Wildfire Evacuation
In a wildfire, official evacuation orders come from the Sheriff and CAL FIRE through CruzAware, not this site. Here's how Boulder Creek residents get ready and know where to look.
Back-to-School Dates and Resources for Boulder Creek Families
Back-to-school for Boulder Creek families: the SLVUSD calendar, local schools, registration, before- and after-school care, and family resources, all in one place.
The Essential Shops: What You Can Actually Buy in Town
You can run more errands in Boulder Creek than most people expect from a town this size, nearly all within about a mile of Highway 9. This covers hardware and lumber, the two grocery markets and their different personalities, an independent pharmacy that delivers valley-wide, pet and garden supplies, the gift and specialty shops, and the dispensary for adults 21 and over.
Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club: What to Know Before You Play
Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club is open as a 9-hole redwood course with disc golf, a restaurant, and a bar. Rates, hours, booking, and what to know before you go.
Septic Systems 101 for New Mountain Homeowners
Most Boulder Creek homes run on a septic system, not city sewer, so owning one is part of mountain life here. This explains how your tank and drainfield actually work, the pumping rhythm to keep on, what you should never send down the drain, and the warning signs that mean you should call a pro before a small problem gets expensive.
How Boulder Creek Got Its Name and Who Was Here First
The town takes its name from the stream that comes off Ben Lomond mountain and meets the San Lorenzo River at the north end of town. This tells how the creek got its name, who lived in the valley long before settlers, why a rival settlement called Lorenzo nearly won out, and how the railroad finally made the name Boulder Creek permanent.
Hiring a Contractor in the Santa Cruz Mountains: What's Different Up Here
Before you hire anyone for work on a mountain property, check their license free at the Contractors State License Board, get at least three written bids, and keep the deposit small. This covers the license classes that matter up here, the payment rules that protect you, why mountain permits work differently, and the questions that reveal real local experience.
The Mountain Home Maintenance Calendar
Owning a home in Boulder Creek runs on two seasons, the wet one and the dry one. This is a month-by-month calendar: drainage, roof, and tree checks before the rains, defensible-space and generator work before fire season, and the small recurring tasks that keep both from becoming emergencies. A quick way to know what needs doing when.
El Niño Is Here: What a Strengthening 2026-27 Winter Could Mean for Boulder Creek
NOAA forecasts a strong El Niño for winter 2026-27. Here's what that could, and couldn't, mean for Boulder Creek, and how to get ready without waiting for a storm.
Where to Eat in Boulder Creek Right Now
If you're hungry in Boulder Creek, you have real options: four sit-down restaurants, a taqueria and a counter spot, a hot dog stand with a fire pit, three cafes, three bakeries, two markets with a deli, a bar, and a winery tasting room up the mountain. This runs through them by category, and answers what's open Monday and who delivers.
What Are the Sirens For? How to Look Up Boulder Creek Emergency Calls
When sirens head up Highway 9 and you want to know what's happening, this shows you where to look. PulsePoint covers fire and medical calls, Watch Duty tracks wildfire, and the CHP incident page lists Highway 9 and 236 crashes. It also explains why sheriff calls mostly stay private, and the one rule to follow in a real emergency.
Six Years After the CZU Fire
Six years after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire, Boulder Creek and the San Lorenzo Valley are rebuilding, unevenly. What's recovered, what hasn't, and what endures.
Late-Summer Wildfire Checklist for Boulder Creek
A practical, do-it-now wildfire checklist for Boulder Creek: defensible space, home hardening, go-bags, knowing your evacuation zone, and signing up for alerts before peak fire season.
What Is All the Construction on Highway 9?
The Highway 9 work near Boulder Creek is a bridge replacement at the San Lorenzo River and Kings Creek, plus a separate downtown Complete Streets project. Here's what to expect.
Big Basin's Rebuilding Plan Is Approved: What's Coming and When
California State Parks approved Big Basin's rebuilding plan on July 2, 2026. Here's what the reimagined park will include and the years-long road ahead.
Why Buying Local Hits Different in a Mountain Town
In a town with one main street, every storefront is load-bearing, and whether a business stays or goes often comes down to local spending. This makes the case plainly, including what the CZU fire showed about the stakes, what the numbers do and don't support, what buying local looks like in practice, and why it's still fine to order some things online.
Downtown Boulder Creek in an Afternoon
An afternoon is the right amount of time for downtown Boulder Creek. This walks you through it: browse the shops along Highway 9 and Central Avenue, catch the free San Lorenzo Valley Museum between 1 and 4, put your feet in the river at Junction Park, and eat before you head out, with Big Basin as the add-on if you have longer.
Family Resources in the San Lorenzo Valley
Raising kids in the San Lorenzo Valley means piecing together a school district, a library branch, a recreation district, and a few nonprofits. This gathers the verified basics in one place: SLVUSD and Boulder Creek Elementary, preschool and childcare options, the Boulder Creek library, and BCRPD parks, pool, camps, and scouts, plus who to call when you're stuck.
How to Set Up CruzAware Alerts (and What They Cover)
If you do one preparedness task this month, sign up for CruzAware, Santa Cruz County's free alert system, at cruzaware.org. It's how the county sends evacuation notices and other urgent warnings, and it takes about ten minutes. This walks through the signup step by step, the quick fine-tuning afterward, and how CruzAware differs from National Weather Service and PG&E alerts.