Pace Family Wilderness Park is a 79.4-acre wilderness area located in Ben Lomond, California. This area features diverse terrain, including towering redwood forests, serene meadows, and a unique Santa Cruz sandhill ecology. The park's landscape provides a varied backdrop for several sports like hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, touring cycling, and more. Its ecological significance, stemming from one of the rarest ecosystems in the United States, supports a variety of rare plant and animal species.
Pace Family Wilderness Park offers numerous routes for outdoor enthusiasts, with more than 7,000 visitors having shared their experiences, resulting in an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Hiking is a primary activity within Pace Family Wilderness Park, with trails winding through majestic redwood forests, open meadows, and alongside creeks. Hikers can explore varied terrain, including connections to adjacent areas like Quail Hollow Ranch County Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. For those interested in cycling, while the newer trails within Pace Family Wilderness Park are designated for hikers, the broader Santa Cruz County area provides extensive opportunities. Nearby parks such as Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, DeLaveaga Park, and Wilder Ranch offer multi-use trails, fire roads, and singletrack suitable for mountain biking, road cycling, and touring cycling. Discover more about specific activities by exploring guides such as Hiking in Pace Family Wilderness Park, MTB Trails in Pace Family Wilderness Park, and Cycling in Pace Family Wilderness Park.
86
Routes
4.6
(118)
Average rating
2018
People visited

4.8
(32)
208
hikers
7.71km
02:24
190m
190m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly walkable paths. Sure-footedness required.

5.0
(4)
120
hikers
2.26km
00:35
20m
20m
Easy hike. Easily walkable paths.

4.6
(11)
79
hikers
11.3km
03:48
470m
390m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly walkable paths. Sure-footedness required.

7
hikers
7.96km
02:29
230m
160m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly walkable paths. Sure-footedness required.
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5.0
(13)
148
riders
31.8km
03:00
670m
670m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required.

5.0
(2)
136
riders
14.8km
01:17
280m
280m
Easy mountain bike ride.

4.5
(10)
119
riders
42.0km
03:26
720m
720m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required.

17
riders
33.7km
02:44
470m
470m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required.
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3.0
(1)
49
riders
48.7km
02:23
700m
700m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

16
riders
104km
05:29
1,720m
1,720m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

42
riders
36.6km
01:53
570m
570m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

21
riders
38.3km
02:05
730m
730m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
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3.5
(2)
23
riders
44.0km
02:50
550m
550m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

14
riders
48.6km
03:25
900m
900m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

12
riders
33.7km
02:19
570m
570m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

10
riders
15.3km
01:05
290m
280m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.
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18
runners
8.07km
00:57
140m
140m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

5.0
(1)
19
runners
7.49km
01:03
160m
160m
Hard run. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

5.0
(1)
19
runners
8.96km
01:21
270m
270m
Hard run. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

14
runners
8.07km
01:00
160m
160m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.
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4
riders
58.1km
04:30
1,140m
1,140m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

5.0
(1)
5
riders
17.0km
01:27
440m
440m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.

1
riders
16.1km
01:05
280m
280m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.
Pace Family Wilderness Park is a 79.4-acre wilderness area situated in Ben Lomond, California. It is nestled within Santa Cruz County, offering diverse natural landscapes.
Pace Family Wilderness Park offers opportunities for Hiking, Mountain biking, Road cycling, Touring cycling, Jogging, and Gravel biking. The park's diverse terrain supports a range of outdoor pursuits. Explore specific activities through guides like Hiking in Pace Family Wilderness Park.
The park features towering redwood forests, serene meadows, and a rare Santa Cruz sandhill ecology. This specific habitat is considered one of the rarest ecosystems in the United States, supporting unique plant and animal species. Historical ruins, such as the Lime Kiln ruins, can also be found within the area.
Pace Family Wilderness Park offers a diverse range of hiking trails suitable for all skill levels, including easy, moderate, and difficult options. Newly constructed trails within the Pace property are designated for hikers only. Find suitable routes in Easy hikes in Pace Family Wilderness Park.
While newer trails within Pace Family Wilderness Park are primarily for hikers, the broader Santa Cruz County area and interconnected parks offer extensive cycling opportunities. Nearby areas like Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Wilder Ranch provide multi-use trails suitable for mountain biking. Consult MTB Trails in Pace Family Wilderness Park for more information.
The broader Santa Cruz County area, including parks like Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, offers extensive cycling opportunities. The Coastal Rail Trail is also being developed as an ADA-accessible path for touring and road cycling. Discover routes in Road Cycling Routes in Pace Family Wilderness Park and Cycling in Pace Family Wilderness Park.
The park offers trails suitable for families, with diverse terrain that can accommodate various ages and skill levels. Exploring the redwood forests and meadows provides an engaging experience for visitors. Refer to Family-friendly hikes in Pace Family Wilderness Park for specific routes.
Pace Family Wilderness Park has received an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from more than 470 ratings. Over 7,700 visitors have shared their experiences in the park on komoot.
Popular routes include connections to Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, such as the Quail Hollow Sunset Trail loop (2.6 miles / 4.2 km). Other notable hikes extend to areas like the Lime Kiln ruins – Big Ben Tree loop (10.1 miles / 16.3 km) and the Fall Creek and Ridge Trail loop in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (7.3 miles / 11.7 km).
Pace Family Wilderness Park is managed by the Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services. For inquiries, the Santa Cruz County Parks Department can be reached at (831) 454-7938 for reservations or (831) 454-7941 for recreation information.
The provided information does not specify the dog policy for Pace Family Wilderness Park. Visitors should check with the Santa Cruz County Parks Department for current regulations regarding pets.

