Introduction:
What? :
The Saratoga Quarry Park is nice municipal park for short hikes in the old quarry. It is also the starting point of Saratoga to Sea trail, long hike climbing the mountains.
Where? :
The parking lot is located on highway 9 just 1 mile out of Old Town Saratoga, when driving look for the park entrance on your left (when coming from Saratoga).
Google Map Link
The Parking lot:
When? :
Year round
Due
note 1: The Saratoga Quarry Park is nice for short hikes or going with kids and
having a picnic.
Due note
2: The park and the hiking trail are not for bike.
My thoughts:
I really like the fact that you start to hike low in the valley, a short
drive from home. The park is nice for short visit but not a must, the hike
itself is long and climbing the mountain ridge, excellent for outdoor running.
The
visit:
The park has two sections, the lower part is nice small municipal park in an old Quarry cover the mountain slopes, the second part is a long trail connecting this park with Sam Trail section and from there to Sanborn park.
From here you can go up to skyline
trail and continue all the way to the ocean (currently closed due to the fires
in Big Basin Redwood State Park).
The local Saratoga Quarry Park is nice small park with many picnic tables along the trails so you can have break along your hike and visit (need to carry the food with you).
There is a small
pound (when visited here it was almost completely dry), and few trails that
climb the quarry hill side.
They just open (Nov. 2020) a long 5.1 miles hiking trail that connected over the mountains to Sam park and from there to Sanborn park trail system.
The Trail that start in the quarry connect all the way up to skyline trail (near Castell Roc State Park). This is 8.1
miles from Saratoga Quarry park to the skyline trail (climbing 2 mountain ranges).
The Saratoga to skyline hike itself is out and back, you do not need to hike all of it and can hike as far as you want.
The single track trail start climbing moderately for 1.4 miles up to the bridge over a large creek (second bridge).
From there another 1.3 miles steeply climb the mountain with many zig zag switchbacks.
Once you cross under the PG&E power lines you almost reach the top of the ridge, from here the trail keeps going at the same level until it sharply descending to Sam trail section, turn left, cross the large bridge and reach the Sanborn road.
Cross the road, climb the trail on the other
side and reach Sanborn park at Welch-Hurst House section.
Overall
this can be a long hike, a strenuous climb in the woods and not so many other
hikers.
www:
https://www.saratoga.ca.us/456/Saratoga-to-the-Sea
Map:
https://www.saratoga.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/2556/Trail-Map
https://www.saratoga.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/514/Quarry-Park-PDF
Additional Pictures:
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