Members Only - Annual Rocks Ranch Campout! - 7/19-7/20

Come out and enjoy a Rocks Ranch open trail day with a bonus feature—an overnight campout!

Rocks Ranch is full of activity as the night shift takes over. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County wants to provide members with the rare opportunity to see how nature’s other half (of the day) lives and experience the property when the sun goes down.

Join us for a full day of open trails and a night under the stars. We will have guided walks, a happy hour, campfire gathering, and much more! So, pack your gear and get ready for a fun night out on the ranch.

• Where: Rocks Ranch, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045 (this property is currently closed to the public; the address and directions will be sent via a reminder email one week prior to the event)

• Check-in: Please arrive by 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 19

• Check-out: Please leave the property by 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM on Sunday, July 20

We look forward to seeing you there!

This is a Members Only event. Become a member by making a donation of any amount to receive special invitations to Member Only events (like this campout!), monthly e-updates about conservation projects, a subscription to our bi-annual newsletter, and more! Click here to donate today.

Unsure of your membership status? Please contact Engagement Manager, Emily Repech at ZW1pbHkgISByZXBlY2ggfCBsYW5kc2FudGFjcnV6ICEgb3Jn.

• One ticket = One vehicle
• Only one ticket is allowed per member household. Please sign-up for one vehicle only. Feel free to invite enough friends and family that will fit in your car!

Event Details

• We will send directions, a detailed camping checklist, schedule of events, and the items prohibited on property one to two weeks before the campout.
• Arrival: Please drive through the gate and follow the signs. Land Trust staff will greet you at the intersection of the road, provide you with a map, and direct you to Creek Camp!
• Road conditions & terrain: You will be driving on roughly 2-3 miles of farm roads that are single lane dirt roads. Although the property is 2WD accessible, please drive slowly and be mindful of ruts, hikers, and bikers. The terrain is moderately difficult with some sections of steep uphill and downhill. The property offers extensive grassland, oak savanna, and oak woodland. Please plan for hot and dry weather with exposed conditions.

• What to expect: On Saturday, campers will have the full day to explore the property at their own leisure! The Land Trust will provide optional interpretive programs for people of all ages to participate in, outdoor games, happy hour at the campground, and a campfire with a good old fashioned s'mores station. Sunday morning, members will wake up to a coffee bar and breakfast treats. We will pack up and check-out by 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM.

• What to pack: All your camping essentials, comfortable layers for sunny and foggy weather, good walking/hiking shoes, bikes, food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and your favorite snacks), extra water, bug spray and sunscreen, hiking poles (if desired), and binoculars.

• Although there is no potable water onsite, the Land Trust will have water jugs for you to refill your water bottles. There will be a few porta-potties and handwashing stations located throughout the property.

• Well behaved pups are welcome! No trailers, RV's, or horses are allowed at this time.
• Please be aware of bees/yellowjacket wasps. If you are allergic, bring your prescribed epinephrine pen and/or allergy medications.

Please contact Events Manager, Audrelina Mendiola-Arriola at ZXZlbnRzIHwgbGFuZHRydXN0c2FudGFjcnV6ICEgb3Jn or (831) 281-0386.

Protecting Rocks Ranch for a wildlife crossing over HWY101 is the next critical step in establishing linkage between the Santa Cruz and Gabilan mountain ranges.

The first crossing on HW17 at Laurel Curve in the Santa Cruz Mountains was completed in December. Together, these crossings will provide safe passage for mountain lions and other wildlife whose habitats have been increasingly constrained by residential development and highway barriers. Thanks to our pioneering work at Laurel Curve, the policy and process tools are already in place to develop a second crossing at Rocks Ranch.

Learn more about the property and how protecting Rocks Ranch from intensified land use will help safeguard this critical landscape linkage and conserve important habitat for rare and endangered species here.

By attending this event, I hereby grant Land Trust of Santa Cruz County permission to use my likeness in photograph(s) in any publications or publicity materials (including but not limited to books, newsletters, videos and Web use), in perpetuity. Please email ZXZlbnRzIHwgbGFuZHRydXN0c2FudGFjcnV6ICEgb3Jn if you have questions or concerns about photo permissions.

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in San Juan Bautista, Nonprofit events in San Juan Bautista.