Stories and guides
Around Town
Local guides, history, and practical notes about living in and visiting Boulder Creek.
Getting Around Without a Car: Transit Options From Boulder Creek
Yes, you can get from Boulder Creek to Santa Cruz by bus, seven days a week. This breaks down Santa Cruz METRO's Route 35 along Highway 9, the 35X commuter express, what a ride costs, and how to reach San Jose over the hill. It also covers the weekend Big Basin bus, door-to-door ParaCruz and Lift Line rides, and a few real limits to plan around.
Scarborough Building Supply: The Lumber Yard in Town
Scarborough Building Supply runs the lumber yard at 12990 Highway 9 in Boulder Creek, open seven days, with propane filling and STIHL service.
Fun Things to Do in and Around Boulder Creek
Rivers, redwoods, downtown shops, golf, live music and the Thursday farmers market. What to do in and around Boulder Creek, sorted by mood.
A Responsible Big Basin Day Trip From Boulder Creek
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is open for limited day use from 8 a.m. to sunset, with the main entrance about nine miles up Highway 236 from downtown Boulder Creek. This covers how to reserve parking before you go, what's actually open in the still-recovering park, how to visit responsibly, and how to make Boulder Creek itself part of the day.
Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge: Boulder Creek's Hundred-Year Dining Room
Scopazzi's has been feeding Boulder Creek from the same wooden building since 1915, when it opened as a loggers' boarding house. What it is, and how to plan a visit.
Family Day Trips From Boulder Creek
Family day trips near Boulder Creek: Roaring Camp trains, Henry Cowell redwoods, Big Basin, a Felton zipline, and the Santa Cruz beach down Highway 9.
SWAG: The Eclectic Collective on Highway 9
SWAG: the eclectic collective sits at 13026 Highway 9 in Boulder Creek, with vintage apparel, vinyl, local art, and a live music series in its tenth year.
How Directory Verification Works (and How to Fix a Listing)
Every listing in the Boulder Creek Local directory is reviewed by a person before it goes live, and each one carries a verification date and confidence level. This explains where listing information comes from, what that reviewed date does and doesn't promise, why paying us never changes a listing, and the quick way to flag anything that's wrong or out of date.
General Contractors Based in the Valley
Sixteen verified general building contractors based in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton, with CSLB numbers to check before you hire.
Boulder Creek Emergency Contacts: The One-Page List
For any emergency in Boulder Creek, call 911. Beyond that, this is a one-page list of who to reach for everything else: the Boulder Creek Fire Protection District, the county Sheriff, county Public Works and Caltrans for roads, PG&E for power and gas, and the water district. It's built to print and keep where you can find it.
Boulder Creek Pharmacy: The Independent That Delivers
Boulder Creek Pharmacy is the independent pharmacy at 13081 Central Avenue, with free prescription delivery throughout the San Lorenzo Valley.
Railroads of the San Lorenzo Valley: The Line That Built Boulder Creek
Trains ran to Boulder Creek for just under fifty years, from April 1885 to January 1934, and much of the town you drive through today is what they built. This follows the narrow-gauge branch up the valley from Felton, the loggers' own Dougherty Extension, and the slow decline to the last train, then shows how to trace the old line on the ground now.
The Closest Gyms to Boulder Creek, Compared
There's no full gym in Boulder Creek, just a yoga studio. The nearest gyms are 15 minutes away in Felton and 25 in Scotts Valley. Compared here.
Fire Insurance in the Santa Cruz Mountains: How It Works and Where to Get Help
Non-renewed or facing a huge premium? Here's how the FAIR Plan, DIC wrap policies, and home hardening work, plus where to get help. Not insurance advice.
Beck's Shoes: The Weekends Only Store at the South End of Town
Beck's Shoes runs a Weekends Only outlet at 12550 Highway 9 in Boulder Creek, with in-store sale pricing on work, comfort, and outdoor footwear.
Finding a Gardener or Yard Help in Boulder Creek
Need a Boulder Creek gardener or landscaper? Use a maintenance gardener for upkeep and a licensed C-27 contractor for builds. Verified local list inside.
Fires, Floods, and Storms: The Events That Shaped Boulder Creek
If you've wondered why Boulder Creek neighbors talk about go-bags and river levels the way other towns talk about traffic, the record explains it. This walks through the valley's defining disasters, the 1955 Christmas flood, the 1982 storm and Love Creek slide, the 2020 CZU fire, and the 2023 atmospheric rivers on the burn scar, and what that history means for living here now.
Every Park a Kid Can Play At in the Valley
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.
Air & Fire: The Mystical Bazaar on Highway 9
Air & Fire: A Mystical Bazaar sits at 13150 Highway 9 in downtown Boulder Creek, with handmade soaps and oils, crystals, tarot decks, and work by local artists.
A Day in Boulder Creek with Kids
A full day with young kids in Boulder Creek, mostly free: library storytime, a downtown treat, the river or a park, plus a rainy-day indoor backup.