Felton, CA

Felton is a small unincorporated community tucked into the San Lorenzo Valley of Santa Cruz County, California, where the Santa Cruz Mountains are draped in coast redwood forest. With a population of roughly 4,000, the town has a quiet, woodsy character shaped by its tree-canopied setting and a short main street of locally owned shops and cafés. Felton is best known as a base for exploring the redwood groves of the surrounding mountains, and it lies about six miles north of Santa Cruz, the nearest major city, just a short drive up Highway 9.

Just minutes from downtown Felton, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park protects old-growth and second-growth coast redwood forest across thousands of acres. The park's most famous resident is the Fremont Tree, a roughly 285-foot giant that has been a visitor draw since the nineteenth century, and the shaded loop trail through the grove is one of the most accessible redwood walks in the region. Beyond the main redwood grove, the park includes the unique Santa Cruz Sandhills habitat, miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, and a campground beneath the canopy.

Located in the heart of town, Roaring Camp Railroads is a heritage railway that has been carrying passengers into the surrounding forest since the 1960s. Visitors can ride a narrow-gauge steam train through old-growth redwoods, board a vintage passenger train, or take a seasonal excursion that connects to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The depot doubles as a small museum of railroad history, and the property hosts special events throughout the year, from holiday train rides to Civil War reenactments.

About ten minutes south of Felton, the city of Santa Cruz offers a completely different coastal experience, from the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, one of the oldest amusement parks on the West Coast, to wide sandy beaches, the working municipal wharf, and a lively downtown filled with restaurants and surf shops. The contrast between mountain forest and Pacific shoreline is part of what makes a stay in Felton feel like two vacations in one.

Felton's appeal for short-term rentals lies in this pairing of redwood seclusion with quick access to the coast. Visitors can spend the morning hiking among ancient trees, the afternoon riding a steam train or browsing a small-town main street, and the evening watching the sunset over the Pacific, all without ever leaving the Santa Cruz Mountains. For travelers drawn to Northern California's signature mix of forest, fog, and shoreline, the town offers a calm, central base from which to experience it all.