On a late summer day, Loralei and I set out to do a hike that neither of us had done, and was a little different than most trails you’ll find! Starting at a Buddhist retreat called the Land of Medicine Buddha, this trail is definitely different than most hikes you’ll find!
The trail itself was the Medicine Buddha Loop outside Santa Cruz CA, and it’s pretty unique. The name might give it away, but there’s a pretty predominant Buddha theme here, and the start and finish at the Buddhist retreat is certainly unique!
If you enjoy unique trails that provide something different than what you normally find, this is definitely a hike for you!
Miles/Elevation:
5.6 miles
984 feet vertical gain
About The Forest Of Nisene Marks State Park:
Located outside Santa Cruz on the California Coast, The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park contains dense forests, coastal mountains, and deep ravines. While essentially the entire area of the park was logged in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the forest has largely recovered. Redwoods blanket much of the park, and while you will not find the iconic old growth monsters, there is still beautiful forest to be experienced!
At about 9,700 acres, the park contains 30 miles of trails that cover elevations from near sea level to about 2,600 feet. Named in honor of Nisene Marks, whose children donated the land, the park is now a local favorite among hikers, joggers, and mountain bikers.
There is an $8 parking fee to park at the park.
About Land of Medicine Buddha:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
While the trail travels through the state park, this actually begins at a Buddhist retreat known as the Land of Medicine Buddha. The retreat offers a range of services from guided meditation, eastern medicine seminars, and overnight lodging. Guests are also able to reserve vegetarian meals, and reserve meeting rooms. There is no official fee for hiking or parking, but they do request a $5 donation from all visitors.
Getting To The Trailhead:
The Land of Medicine Buddha is located outside of Soquel, a small town next to Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz, take Highway 1 to Bay Ave in Soquel. Turn left from the off ramp, and then a quick right onto S Main Street. Continue into the hills and eventually veer right onto Prescott Road. From here the road is one lane, so be careful!
Once you are close to the Land of Medicine Buddha, you will notice a couple of areas to park along the side of the road. This is where we parked. It’s a little more than a quarter of a mile from these spots on the side of the road to the actual retreat. There is also parking at the retreat itself, though it did look fairly limited.
The Land of Medicine Buddha is a 15 minute drive from Santa Cruz, a 45 minute drive from San Jose, and an hour 25 minute drive from San Francisco.
The Medicine Buddha Loop Trail:
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
From the retreat, the trail begins by climbing through the property and past many of the features of the center. You’ll pass by the pool, sculptures, prayers, and all sorts of stuff. It’s pretty cool to slow down and read about them. This is a hike where some of the value comes from the cultural aspect, and not just the natural beauty!
After climbing up through the property along a paved road, you will eventually veer off to the right onto an actual trail. The trail you are looking for is called the Eight Verse Trail Loop.
Eight Verse Trail:
This first part of the hike takes you into the wooded section of the Medicine Buddha property. Now that you’re off the pavement, it definitely starts feeling more like a hike, but it still retains a lot of the Buddhist features for now!
Hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Be sure to check out Castle Rock State Park!
It’s called the Eight Verse Trail because there are verses of prayer located all along the trail. There are little stations with verses of prayer, flags, and offerings from visitors alongside the trail. It was a little weird for me seeing stuff left out by visitors because thats usually a big no no on hikes, but this is a religious center, and you’re still on private property!
Up The Six Mile Loop Trail:
After about half a mile on the Eight Verse Trail, you will enter the state park! There is a sign marking the border, but it’s not like the trail drastically changes. At this point, you’ll be in a really nice Redwood forest. Though there are no old growth Redwoods here, there are tons of second growth trees that have been there for decades!
Check out nearby Bear Creek Redwoods too!
Once in the state park, you’ll have about two miles of uphill hiking. The total elevation gain for the entire hike is only about 1,000 feet, so it’s not like its anything crazy, but there is a steady sustained climb! From the dense Redwood forest, you’ll climb up into some deciduous forest higher in the hills!
Unfortunately, even though you do a fair bit of climbing, you never quite get any great views. The foilage is pretty thick, and you never get a break in it, and you never climb up anywhere exposed enough to get a view.
You also may notice as you hike through the leafy forest a fair bit of poison oak. When we were researching this hike, some of the reviews warned of the worst poison oak they had ever seen, and that hikers definitely should wear pants!
Visit Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park for more great Redwood hikes!
While there honestly was more poison oak than I’ve ever seen, it was all off the trail, and we were able to hike on the trail without getting into any of it. By late summer, poison oak starts turning bright red, so it actually looked really nice! As long as you don’t have to walk through it, I kind of like having a bit of poison oak around!
After the two mile or so climb, you’ll arrive at a trail intersection. The main body of the state park is to the right here, but to complete the loop and return to the trailhead, turn left.
At this point, you are on top of a 1,000 foot high ridge. I was hoping for some nice views looking into the Santa Cruz Mountains, or back towards the Pacific, but none ever materialized. However, while the lack of a panoramic view is a bit disappointing, the forest up here is quite beautiful, so I wasn’t too upset!
Down The Six Mile Loop Trail
From the ridgeline, you’ll fairly quickly turn left to hike back down towards the trailhead. You could actually continue straight and end up back in the same place, and both options look to be similar in distance, so I don’t really think it matters too much!
The descent is fairly steep, but isn’t anything that will kill your knees too much. There are a few sections where the trail does get a little washed out, but it’s fine, nothing too crazy!
As you descend, you’ll drop from the deciduous forest of the ridge-lines back into the Redwood forest of the valleys. The final stretch back to the retreat is through a beautiful valley lined with Redwoods, and centered on a small stream! Honestly before you know it, you’ll be back at the Land of Medicine Buddha. It actually snuck up on me!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 7/10
This is a pleasant hike that offers something totally different from what you’ll usually find on a hiking trail. While the Buddhist features of this hike are really interesting, the hiking itself isn’t overly remarkable. The Redwood forest is nice, but not as special as the old growth groves nearby. The ridgeline is pretty, but doesn’t offer the views that you can get on many other nearby trails.
Because of all of that, I give this trail a 7/10. Again, it isn’t bad, and I certainly don’t regret hiking it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to do it again.
The one caveat to my rating is if you are really into learning about other cultures and religion, this could be literally the perfect hike for you. So, if you want to do this hike because of the Buddhist features, then definitely do it! But if you aren’t especially interested in the Buddhist aspect, it’s skippable.
Pros:
- Easily accessible
- Buddhist features
- Pretty forest
- Smooth trail
Cons:
- No big views
- No old growth Redwoods
Alternative Hikes:
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
When To Visit:
Nisene Marks State Park really is a 4 season destination. In summer, expect to be hot on exposed sections of trails, and to be comfortable on the shaded sections. During winter, expect to be cool in the shaded areas, and still warm in exposed sections. Rain is most likely in winter and spring.
Links For Further Reading:
Staying at Land of Medicine Buddha
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