Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF) is situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains along California's central coast. Originally part of a Mexican land grant, the property was logged by several different owners prior to the State taking ownership in 1988. Today, the forest is managed for sustainable timber production, research, educational activities, public recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed protection. SDSF is unique because it is the only State Forest located near large urban areas. Its proximity to the metropolitan centers of the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area provides excellent opportunities for hands-on forestry education and outdoor recreation while demonstrating a working forest for the public.
SDSF contains coast redwood, Douglas-fir, mixed hardwood, chaparral, and riparian ecosystems along the East Branch of Soquel Creek and Amaya Creek. The forest is geologically active, with the San Andreas and Zayante Faults passing through the property. There are several natural springs and small marshes found in closed depressions that are associated with the forest’s geologic activity. The epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake is approximately two miles south of SDSF, in the neighboring Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.
Forest Stats:
Established: 1990
Area: 2,700 acres
Elevation: 450 - 2,400ft
Precipitation: 47.53 in per year
Temperature: Max: 90 F - Min: 32 F
Soquel Demonstration State Forest Roads and Trails Map
CAL FIRE Soquel Demonstration State Forest | Facebook
Soquel Demonstration State Forest Weather Website (westernweathergroup.com)
The Forest is open from dawn to dusk daily. No Camping Permitted.