100. Berry Creek Falls and Skyline to the Sea Trail

Length:	16.3 miles round trip
Hiking time:	10 hours or overnight
High point:	1,500 feet
Total elevation gain:	1,700 feet
Difficulty:	strenuous up McCrary Ridge, otherwise easy
Season:	year-round
Water:	bring your own
Maps:	USGS 7.5' Big Basin, USGS 7.5' Año Nuevo, USGS 7.5' Franklin Point
Information:	Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Hike through redwood forest and native chaparral and along quiet creeks, and enjoy views of Waddell Beach, the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Cruz Mountains, and graceful Berry Creek Falls. For a complete Skyline to the Sea journey, combine the last part of this trip with the first 4 miles of Hike 99 (Silver Falls and Skyline to the Sea Trail). Backpackers must make advance reservations for trailside camping (call 831-338-8861).

The trailhead, signed for Waddell Beach, is on the west side of Highway 1, 18 miles north of Santa Cruz and 26 miles south of Half Moon Bay.

Skyline to the Sea Trail begins across Highway 1. Pass Waddell Creek's marsh, followed by Horse Trail Camp, and then bear left at 0.3 mile. Climb through a knobcone pine and coast live oak forest, then gain a view of Waddell Beach, its marsh, and the Pacific Ocean as the trail levels at 0.6 mile. Hike past Douglas fir, alder, and redwood, then cross Waddell Creek at 1.4 miles. Reach a signed trail junction 0.1 mile farther, where you bear left. Backpackers can spend the night at Twin Redwoods Trail Camp another 0.2 mile farther.

Over the next 1.5 miles, the riparian habitat along Waddell Creek consists of an impressive array of native trees that grow taller than usual while competing for sunlight; look for alder, bigleaf maple, buckeye, Douglas fir, redwood, and California laurel. Below the trees you'll see redwood sorrel, thimbleberry, fern, horsetail, and periwinkle.

Camp Herbert Trail Camp, another backpack camp, comes up at 3.1 miles. Cross a tributary of Waddell Creek 100 yards farther, then, after another 100 yards, leave Skyline to the Sea Trail and bear right onto the signed McCrary Ridge Trail. This 2.9-mile footpath initially climbs under welcome shade before entering an open area where manzanita and knobcone pine dominate.

At 6 miles the trail ends at a signed trail junction, where you bear right onto a fire road. Watch closely for a signed trail junction partially concealed by shrubs 0.2 mile farther, where you go left onto Howard King Trail for a shaded 2.5-mile descent through a forest of madrone, California laurel, and Douglas fir.

Reach West Waddell Creek at 8.7 miles and bear right onto Skyline to the Sea Trail. At 9 miles turn left onto Berry Creek Falls Trail. Magnificent Berry Creek Falls, which plunges 70 feet to a small, clear pool, awaits 0.1 mile farther. Allow time to explore the cascades and pools found all along enchanting Berry Creek. Also, consider a visit to Silver Falls, only 0.4 mile farther up the trail, and to the nearby Sunset Trail Camp (see Hike 99, Silver Falls and Skyline to the Sea Trail).

To return to Waddell Beach, backtrack to Skyline to the Sea Trail for the final 6 miles downhill, accompanied the whole time by peacefully meandering Waddell Creek. The same flora encountered on the second and third miles of the hike decorate this scenic section of the wide dirt road. Stay on the road past three junctions.