Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge is a 44-acre urban wildlife sanctuary located in Santa Cruz, California. This refuge features a 14-acre freshwater marsh and lagoon, providing a vital habitat within the city's urban watershed. The terrain includes accessible trails, a wooden pontoon walkway, and greenbelt paths with surfaces ranging from hardened earth, sand, grass, and asphalt, making it suitable for several sports like touring cycling, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, and more. The gentle paths and varied natural features offer opportunities…
122
Routes
4.8
(253)
Average rating
5477
People visited

20
hikers
1.91km
00:30
10m
0m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

2
hikers
851m
00:13
0m
0m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

1.15km
00:17
0m
0m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

50.9km
13:12
310m
300m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?

5.0
(3)
184
riders
54.5km
02:24
460m
460m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

5.0
(1)
25
riders
66.9km
03:17
870m
870m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

383
riders
91.8km
04:09
900m
900m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

5.0
(1)
204
riders
115km
05:10
1,000m
1,000m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?

158
riders
64.1km
03:54
550m
550m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.5
(2)
90
riders
19.7km
01:08
60m
60m
Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(2)
31
riders
43.3km
02:58
710m
710m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(1)
23
riders
14.5km
01:11
190m
190m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?

4.6
(9)
330
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

127
runners
5.42km
00:34
30m
30m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(4)
93
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

19
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?

4.8
(19)
168
riders
42.3km
03:45
760m
760m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.8
(12)
124
riders
25.7km
02:18
430m
430m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(33)
131
riders
27.7km
02:28
470m
480m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.9
(27)
91
riders
40.3km
03:32
550m
550m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?

5.0
(5)
58
riders
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

5.0
(6)
25
riders
48.6km
04:06
790m
790m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.8
(4)
34
riders
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(1)
23
riders
20.3km
01:25
350m
350m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Get access to more routes and recommendations from other explorers.
Sign up for free
Already have an account?
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge is a 44-acre urban wildlife sanctuary located in Santa Cruz, California. It features a 14-acre freshwater marsh and lagoon, providing a vital habitat within the city's urban watershed. The refuge offers accessible trails for various outdoor activities.
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge offers opportunities for touring cycling, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, jogging, and gravel biking. The refuge features gentle paths and a floating boardwalk suitable for many of these activities. For detailed information, refer to guides like Cycling in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge and Hiking in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge.
Yes, Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge has accessible trails for hiking, including a loop trail under 1 mile (1.6 km). These trails offer opportunities for nature observation within a tranquil setting. Interpretive signs provide educational insights into the local ecosystem.
Touring cycling and road cycling are well-suited for the gentle paths and floating boardwalk within Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge. The trails are generally considered easy, with mostly paved surfaces. For more information, consult the Cycling in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge guide.
The immediate refuge area features gentle paths suitable for general cycling. While the wider Santa Cruz area offers extensive mountain biking opportunities, visitors seeking more rigorous mountain biking trails would need to explore beyond the refuge's immediate boundaries. Information on local options can be found in MTB Trails in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge.
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge offers accessible trails and a floating boardwalk, making it suitable for families. The gentle paths are ideal for easy walks and cycling. For specific routes, refer to the Family-friendly hikes in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge guide.
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge has specific trails where dogs are permitted. Visitors should ensure dogs are kept on a leash and follow all posted regulations. Information on suitable routes is available in the Dog-friendly hikes in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge guide.
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge is a significant birdwatching spot, hosting species such as mallard and wood ducks, pied-billed grebes, and great blue herons. Western pond turtles and various fish species inhabit the lagoon. Squirrels, rabbits, and occasionally deer are present in the surrounding parkland.
The refuge's central feature is its 14-acre freshwater lagoon and marsh, traversed by a floating boardwalk. It encompasses diverse habitats including wetland, riparian, and woodland areas. The landscape includes vibrant wildflowers, towering trees, and native meadows.
Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge has been visited by more than 35,000 komoot users. The routes in the refuge have an average rating of 4.62 out of 5 stars, based on over 1,800 ratings.
Yes, komoot offers several guides for Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge, covering various activities. Examples include Cycling in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge, Hiking in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge, and Running Trails in Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge.
The official website for Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge is part of the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation department. It can be accessed at cityofsantacruz.com.
For general information regarding Neary Lagoon Park and the refuge, the phone number is +1-831-420-5270. This number connects to the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation department.

