A few hours at Loch Lomond Recreation Area can feel like a Sierra getaway. The journey begins when you head north from Felton to Loch Lomond, a mysterious and exotic name for a reservoir supplying water to the City of Santa Cruz. A steep narrow road winds uphill through redwoods and sturdy cabin-like homes, then drops down to a forested canyon, filled with sparkling water. Paddle boats and kayaks dot the lake, but there are no gasoline-powered engines, in fact no noise at all, save the gentle whir of fishing reels, whispers of wind blowing through redwoods, and an occasional overhead airplane. Hard to believe this oasis exists just about 10 miles from Santa Cruz and a short drive from San Jose.
     The watershed was extensively logged, obliterating old-growth redwoods; what's left is a forest mostly comprised of young redwoods and Douglas fir, some knobcone pine, madrone, live oaks, huckleberry, and tanoak. Permitted human activity is confined to the lake itself, as well as a few trails and fire roads on the eastern shore of the reservoir. Visitors can rent boats, fish, picnic, or hike, but no swimming is permitted. Since Loch Lomond is open to the public only from March to mid-September, it's a logical destination for summer get-togethers or those "gone fishing" days. Loch Trail, which clings to a hillside just above the shoreline, is a hotbed of fishing activity, but once you get past Deer Flat, you'll likely find empty trails. When I visited in June a few of the minor paths were totally littered with inches of fallen madrone and tanoak leaves, giving the impression that few human feet had passed through any time recently. Trail loops vary from 1/2 mile to 5 miles. The longest (described below) is the toughest, also a perfect tour through all the park's environments, from shoreline to ridgetop. Be sure to grab the park map before setting out on all but the shortest hikes here -- every trail has a Scottish name and from every picnic area several similarly-named paths depart, criss-crossing through the forest.
     Start at the parking lot near the park store and boat launch, on Loch Trail, which begins near the restrooms and an information signboard. The narrow path (like all park trails, it's only open to hikers) edges along the shoreline. Folks out for a day of fishing for trout, bluegill, and bass sometimes block the trail with their gear, so step carefully. Tanoak, redwood, and madrone shade the trail. Look for the delicate purple flowers of California harebell in early summer. At 0.18 mile, signed Cunningham Trail sets out on the right, but continue left on Loch Trail.
     At a nearly level grade, the trail sticks near the water, sometimes sweeping slightly inland to avoid damp spots. You may notice huckleberry along the trail, as well as invasive French broom. Look left across the lake for a view to Clar Innis Picnic Area, accessible only by boat. At 0.44 mile, under a pretty bunch of madrone, signed MacGregor Trail heads uphill to the right, to Glen Corrie Picnic Area. Stay to the left on Loch Trail.
     As the trail skirts Stewart Cove you'll ascend a bit, on some steep stairs, drop back down to the water level, and climb again, all the while through a forest of tanoak, redwood, and madrone. Look for trilliums in spring. At 0.89 mile, you'll reach a signed junction with MacLaren Trail, which veers straight uphill. Continue to the left on Loch Trail.
     With most of its wandering done, the trail sticks to a nearly flat grade as it travels through a slightly more open forest, where you might notice western heart's ease in spring. Hazelnut and huckleberry are common, but alas, so is poison oak, growing here mostly as ground cover. At 1.25 mile Loch Trail ends at a signed junction with Loch Sloy Service Road. (If you're ready to turn back now, turn right and follow the service road to Glen Corrie Picnic Area, then take Gilchrist Trail to the trailhead.) Turn left.
     In summer the first stretch of trail resembles two parallel paths, with overgrown knee-high vegetation creating a median strip down the middle of the fire road. A break in the woods permits sunshine to foster a few shrubs of toyon, lizardtail, creambush, sticky monkeyflower, as well as some live oak and California bay. Look for Ithuriel's spear and coyote mint blooming in late spring. Gradually the nearly level trail returns to a woodland of redwood, madrone, and tanoak. At 1.67 miles Loch Sloy Service Road ends near Deer Flat. Turn right onto Highland Service Road.
      The broad fire road begins a moderate but steady climb, through more redwood, tanoak, madrone, live oaks, and hazelnut. You might notice white redwood ivy and yerba buena flowering in late June. At 2.10 miles you'll reach an unsigned junction. Stay to the right, doubling back and continuing to climb (if you only remember one thing about the route to the ridgeline, remember that at any junction always take the uphill option). After a straight stretch, the trail curves left and passes through an open area where poison oak and broom flourish. You'll reach another non-junction at 2.30 miles -- once again stay to the right. At 2.63 miles Highland Service Road crests at a gate marking the park boundary. Veer right, remaining on the fire road.
      At a slight incline the fire road begins to traverse the ridge. Tall redwoods, tanoak, and madrone give way to knobcone pine, broom, ceanothus, monkeyflower, and poison oak. In one very sunny, open area chamise, toyon, and manzanita, tumble together on the left, while huckleberry shrubs line the right side of the trail. You can peak through a sparse collection of trees on the left, to a forested ridge east of the park. Highland Service Road emerges at a hilltop, and although this isn't the high point of the hike, here you'll find the best views, downhill to the reservoir. If it's not too hot a bare patch just in front of a row of yerba santa is a nice spot for lunch. A fairly steep descent is followed by an equally sharp ascent, and then the fire road continues to climb, with some small drops to give your legs a workout. Vegetation shifts back to redwood forest, and you may be able to pick out the steep skid roads loggers used when removing trees perhaps 100 years ago. Two very steep drops are perilously fraught with lose dirt and stones, but the worst of the descent is over by the time you reach an easy-to-miss junction with Big Trees Nature Trail, at 4.04 miles. (You can add 1/2 mile to this hike by taking Big Trees Nature Trail left, uphill. The trail climbs steeply, loops back downhill, and ends near the Glen Corrie Picnic Area.) Turn right.
     The narrow path descends at a moderately steep pitch, through redwood, tanoak, live oaks, and madrone. If you've brought the park's nature booklet with you (available for free at the park store) you can follow along with numbered posts. At 4.22 miles, the other end of the nature trail feeds in from the left, then the trail descends to a tricky junction near Glen Corrie Picnic Area. Before you reach the restrooms at 4.30 miles, look left for Glen Corrie Trail, which doubles back and heads uphill.
      After a short ascent, the trail crosses the park road and heads back into the woods. Just before a bridge Gilchrist Trail takes over, traveling through a thick tanoak, madrone, and redwood forest, with few understory plants. At a signed junction with Caber Trail continue downhill to the right on Gilchrist Trail. Follow the path downhill through the fringes of another picnic area, then at another signed junction turn left, following the sign for "Lake Picnic Areas." Gilchrist continues downhill, then crosses a footbridge and ends, at 4.68 miles, at the park road. Turn left and walk down the road to the trailhead.

Total distance: 4.89 miles
Last hiked: Wednesday, June 26, 2002

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