Berry Creek Falls

On Your Own

Hike out to the falls--one of the basin’s most popular destinations--and enjoy the magnificence of nature, a bit of history, and perhaps even an adventure or two.

The hike to Berry Creek Falls affords park visitors perhaps the best opportunity to experience the wide range of habitats represented in Big Basin. Be prepared for a 4- to 6-hour hike roundtrip (depending on which route you choose), ranging from moderately difficult to strenuous. The falls are actually a series of four cascades: Golden Falls, named for their lovely golden shimmer; Cascade Falls, the most dramatic of the falls, dropping a breathtaking 80 feet; Silver Falls, a silvery cascade; and Berry Creek Falls, the lower falls and perhaps the prettiest of the four. Together, the falls drop over 200 feet, creating a refreshing pool for park visitors to rest beside. Stay awhile and enjoy the shade of the oaks and redwoods that line the banks, but please return all litter back to park headquarters with you, and be sure to steer clear of the closed areas at the bottom of the falls; they can be dangerous.

Note: All the creeks in the area flow into West Waddell Creek as it makes its way to the ocean. Subsequently, as West Waddell Creek swells during heavy rains, the bridge occasionally washes out, preventing access to Berry Creek Falls from the Skyline to the Sea Trail. (The bridge was strategically built as a washout bridge to prevent damming and soil erosion along the creek.) During rainy weather, check with park headquarters to make sure the bridge is intact. If the bridge is impassable, cut across the Timms Creek Trail to the Sunset Trail, and see the falls from an elevated perspective! You can still hike down to the foot of the falls before heading back up and retracing your steps back to park headquarters.

Wildlife and Wilderness Caveats

As you wend your way deeper in the park, the probability of encountering wildlife increases. Steer clear of deer. While the mule deer look friendly, don’t approach them. If startled or threatened, they can kick. Bobcats and mountain lions are sometimes spotted in the area as well. Keep an eye out, and let them know you’re there. Mountain lion sightings are rare. If you do see one, do not turn and run. Make lots of noise and make yourself look large. NEVER approach mountain lion cubs. Also, don’t count on using cell phones and GPSs. Cell phones generally don’t work anywhere in the park. GPSs have difficulty communicating with satellites in the dense forests of Big Basin. Always bring a compass, and be aware that darkness comes early in the forest--so bring a flashlight and plenty of water. There are pit toilets at Sunset Trail Camp, located at the top of Berry Creek Falls.

Skyline to the Sea Trail to Berry Creek Falls

The Skyline to the Sea Trail takes you deep into the heart of the park, through redwood and tanoak groves, along fern-rich creeks and madrone stands, right to the foot of the falls. This 4- to 5-hour-roundtrip hike begins across the street from park headquarters (route A above).

Pick up the Skyline to the Sea Trail after crossing the bridge at Opal Creek (directly across from park headquarters). Go to the left as soon as you cross the bridge. Almost immediately, you'll find yourself standing in front of the Santa Clara Tree, the widest measured tree in the park. At over 18 feet in diameter, the Santa Clara Tree has filled the frame of both amateur and professional photographers for over 100 years. Watch closely for the trail to continue to the right under a large fallen tree less than 1/4 mile from the bridge. Watch your head! (If you come to Hihn Hammond Road, you’ve gone too far.) Stay on Skyline to the Sea the entire way to Berry Creek Falls; the trails are well marked. Along the way, you’ll cross two bridges, one at Kelly Creek and one at West Waddell Creek. During the rainy season, the bridge at West Waddell Creek can wash out, preventing access to the falls. If the bridge is out, take the Timms Creek Trail to the Sunset Trail to reach the top of the falls (route C above). Hike down the trail to the lower falls.

Note: The Timms Creek Trail to the Sunset Trail route will add an extra half hour or so to the hike.

Cascade Falls

From the foot of Berry Creek Falls, you have three options: You can hike up to the top of the falls, double back to park headquarters via Skyline to the Sea, or continue down Skyline to the Sea to Waddell Beach. Traveling up the switchbacks along the falls is strenuous but well worth the effort, with the roar of the falls to encourage you on and ample shade even on the hottest days. At the top, you can loop back to park headquarters via the Sunset Trail, adding a little variation to your hike, or wend your way back down the falls and return the way you came.

If you decide to continue down to the coast on the Skyline to the Sea Trail, be sure you’ve allowed plenty of time. The hike (from park headquarters) takes approximately 6 to 7 hours one way. It’s a superb trail, allowing you to experience the wide range of habitats that make up Big Basin as you trek down to the beach. If you do choose to go all the way to Waddell Beach, arrange for transportation back to Big Basin ahead of time. Buses run return trips to park headquarters (via Santa Cruz) during the summer, but they are limited. Click here for bus schedules from the Santa Cruz Metro Web site.

The Mystery of Berry

Berry Creek and the Berry Creek Falls were named for Tilford George Berry, a lumberman who had a cabin at the base of the lower falls. Berry was one of the earliest land speculators in the area, arriving as a homesteader in the mid-1860s. A large man, towering over six feet tall, Berry was a loner. He lived the life of a hermit near the banks of the creek that would later bear his name. Those who knew him described him as a man who lived in the wilderness without even a dog or a horse to keep him company. Rather, his rifle was his companion, and he carried it with him wherever he went.

In the 1870s, Berry sold a parcel of land to Jacob Eberhardt, a Santa Cruz tanner, for $1,600. He stopped in Boulder Creek to visit his friend, Jake Perkins, before embarking on a business trip to finalize the deal. He told Jake that he had to go away for two days and asked him to hold his rifle for safe keeping.

Berry didn’t return for two or three weeks. When he did return to Boulder Creek, he was strangely unkempt. Without offering Jake an explanation, Berry took his rifle and disappeared into the woods. He was never seen again.

Twenty-five years later, a well-known Boulder Creek physician took a stroll through the chaparral 1/4 mile from where Berry picked up his rifle all those years ago. He stumbled upon a perfectly preserved skeleton with Berry’s gun leaning against it and a single bullet through its head. The doctor wired the bones together and Tilford George Berry adorned the doctor’s office for the remainder of his practice.

The skeleton has since disappeared. Its whereabouts remain as big a mystery as what happened to Berry on that final business trip—and why he ended it with a single bullet to the head.

Before and After

The photograph on the left is from the 1930s. The one on the right was shot in 2001.
Note that the rock formations and waterflow are virtually unchanged. A "stag" or
dead tree trunk has snapped and fallen into the pool of water at the base of the falls.
CLICK HERE or on the photograph to see the full-size image.