Uvas Canyon

What a turnout for the hike! We had 9 on the hike. And, I have to say it, it was a hoot and a half. The falls were as good as I've ever seen them, though Triple Falls at the end was just barely flowing.

For the gallery of pictures from the hike, click HERE.

Uvas canyon is best hiked in the spring, during or just after the rainy season. During the summer, the streams dry up and the cascades and falls are absent. During the rainy season, however, the park provides several impressive falls and a continuous cascade along the creeks.

The park is 1,200 acres and offers hiking, picnicing and camping.

The typical hike is a medium length hike, with a fair amount of climbing. But, half the climbing is along beautiful streams with waterfall after waterfall. There is a little over 1000 feet of climb along the first stream, and 200 feet along the second stream.

The trail is completely covered except for a little over a half mile near the end. The trails along the stream beds are more or less clear of poison oak, but you need to pay attention. Between the streams, the poison oak encroaches a lot more. It's easy to avoid, but you need to watch where you walk. There are several bridges over the first stream, with enough photo opportunities to go through more than one roll of film.

This trail is moderate on the "Wimble Scale". Plan on at least one large water bottle and a snack. The hike will take 2 to 3 hours. There are facilities at the trail head.

Directions

From Highway 101, take Tennant Avenue west. Turn left on Monterey Highway. About a half mile, turn right onto Watsonville Road. Between 4 and 5 miles down the road, turn right onto Uvas Road. At that right turn, there is a parking lot on your left. Head about 5 miles along Uvas Road and turn left at Croy Road, where there should be a sign indicating the park. Continue 4.4 miles on Croy Road, through Sveadal, to reach the Park entrance. Sveadal is a private resort belonging to the Swedish American Patriotic League. Please respect their privacy and drive slowly as you pass through Sveadal. When you enter the park, there is a dispensing machine for parking permits. The permits are $5.00 and you can pay with cash, ATM, or credit card.

There are toilets and a pay phone near the park entrance.

On line information

One park description is at www.parkhere.org/prkpages/uvas.htm

Another desciption is at www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/uvas.html

Virtual reality panoramic views are at www.virtualparks.org/scenes/Zvcq8a8bCBVyJAElxbINSVQ.html