Miller Property County Park opened in 2025 three miles north of Boulder Creek: 410 acres on Kings Creek with nature trails and a bigger network coming.

Where to hike from Boulder Creek: Big Basin, Castle Rock, Henry Cowell, Fall Creek, Loch Lomond, and the new Miller property, with fees and access notes.

Which parks near Boulder Creek have a playground, swimming, or room to run: Junction, Garrahan, and Highlands County Park, plus what each one really has.

Yes, Big Basin is open for limited day use, 8 a.m. to sunset, as it recovers from the 2020 fire. Parking, camping, and trail access for 2026.

The closest swimming hole is the San Lorenzo River at Junction Park, unguarded and swim-at-your-own-risk. Where to swim near Boulder Creek, plus safety.

Deer, turkeys, raccoons, coyotes, and the rare mountain lion all live around Boulder Creek. How to coexist, plus who to call for an injured animal.

Poison oak grows year-round in the Santa Cruz Mountains, even as bare winter stems. How to identify it, wash off the oil fast, and what else to avoid.

The clouds of orange butterflies over Boulder Creek are painted ladies on their spring migration, driven by a wet winter and a desert wildflower bloom. Here's the story, and whether it'll happen again.

Wild huckleberries in the Santa Cruz Mountains are evergreen huckleberry, ripe in fall. Picking is banned in the state parks. Here's where it's legal.