Stories and guides
Around Town
Local guides, history, and practical notes about living in and visiting Boulder Creek.
Where to Stay in and Around Boulder Creek
Verified places to stay in and around Boulder Creek: small lodges, redwood cabin resorts, camping, and the closest chain hotel in Ben Lomond.
A Boulder Creek Weekend: The Locally Supportive Itinerary
This lays out a two-day Boulder Creek weekend that keeps your money in town: camp under the redwoods on Grove Street, stock up at the two markets, spend Saturday in Big Basin and Sunday on a ridge or river beach, then fill the edges with the museum, the shops, and a mountain-grown wine tasting. It flags the two reservations to book first.
Every Home Service You Need in the Mountains
Plumbers, electricians, contractors, septic, tree crews and more that serve Boulder Creek, organized by problem, with license numbers where verified.
New to Boulder Creek? The Quick-Start Guide
This is week one in Boulder Creek, in order: sign up for CruzAware alerts, put the PG&E and water accounts in your name, set up GreenWaste trash service, enroll the kids at their school, and grab a library card. It also points you to transit, who to actually call for fire and sheriff, where to buy the basics, and how to spend your first weekend.
The San Lorenzo Valley Museum: What to See and How to Support It
The San Lorenzo Valley Museum is free, and it's open more often than most people think. This covers both gallery spaces in former churches, including the main Grace Episcopal Gallery at 12547 Highway 9, what's on in 2026, and the archives behind the scenes. It also lays out simple ways to support a museum the historical society has run for fifty years.
Utilities, Water, and Waste in Boulder Creek: Who Serves What
This sorts out who provides what in Boulder Creek so you're not left guessing. Electricity comes from PG&E, water from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District or your own well, waste pickup from GreenWaste, and most homes run on septic rather than sewer. It also covers propane, internet and phone options, and a short who-to-call list for when something goes out.
Mountain Roads, Parking, and When Highway 9 Gets Complicated
Highway 9 into Boulder Creek is a genuine mountain road, narrow and winding under the redwoods, and it asks for patience over speed. This explains what the drive is actually like, how to share the curves with cyclists, where to park in town, what the Highway 236 run to Big Basin adds, and why you shouldn't count on your phone for directions.
The Boulder Creek 4th of July Parade
Boulder Creek's July 4th: a firefighter pancake breakfast, the parade down Highway 9 around 10 a.m., then a barbecue and bands at Junction Park.
The Logging Boom: When Boulder Creek Ran on Timber
For about fifty years, Boulder Creek existed to cut redwood and move it out of the mountains. This traces the logging era from the first upper-river mills through the flume years and the 1885-to-1915 boom to the moment the big trees ran out, drawing on rail historian Derek Whaley's research, then closes with the stands that were saved and what you can still see today.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.