Are you soothed by the sound of rushing water? Flowing water produces sound frequencies that can have a soothing effect on the human nervous system. The sound of water, for many people, has been shown to reduce anxiety, lower the heart rate, and create a sense of well-being.
Uvas Canyon in Morgan Hill
Difficulty: Easy to moderate (1 to 3.5 miles options, 300–800 ft elevation gain)
Location: Uvas Canyon County Park, near Morgan Hill/Gilroy in the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills.
Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill features the well-known Waterfall Loop, which takes hikers past several small cascades fed by the year-round Swanson Creek. Day use parking to the 1,147 acre park is via advanced reservations only (currently $6) so make sure you visit the Santa Clara County Parks website before heading out.
With 7.2 miles of trails, including the one-mile long Waterfall Loop Trail, there are plenty of waterfalls along the hike. The Swanson, Uvas, and Alec creeks run year round at Uvas Canyon Park. There are five waterfalls, including three named falls in Uvas Canyon.
A 3.5 mile loop hike covers the Waterfall Loop Trail, Contour Trail, and the Alec Canyon Trail with views of Black Rock Falls, Basin Falls and Upper Falls. Most of the trails are single-track packed dirt and there are some rock steps and a somewhat steep climb just past Black Rock Falls along the Waterfall Loop Trail. The trails take hikers through a mixed evergreen forest dominated by Douglas-fir, redwood, madrone, and oak trees. Known for their spiky needle tips, California nutmeg trees can also be found in Uva Canyon.
Fall Creek Unit – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Difficulty: Moderate (3 to 8 miles out-and-back or loop options, 500–1000 ft elevation gain)
Location: Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, near Felton in Santa Cruz County (about a 30–40 minute drive from San Jose). The trailhead is on Felton Empire Road, with a small parking turnout for the Fall Creek Unit.
Fall Creek Unit is one of my favorite hiking spots. Depending on how far up in elevation you hike, loop hikes range between 3 to 8 miles roundtrip. Fall Creek flows year round through the middle of this separate section of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. There is free parking at the Felton Empire Road lot – this lots gets very busy on the weekends so arrive early if you want to hike here.
Fall Creek runs down the middle of Fall Creek Unit with trails that run along this creek and the South Fork tributary through a secondary growth redwood forest. This unit of the park is known for its vigorously flowing creek, steep forested slopes, and maze of trails that occasionally cross over water. If you’re seeking a more challenging hike with the constant rush of a stream nearby, Fall Creek is a great choice.
The trails are mostly single-track dirt paths, often lined with exposed rocks and roots. Low lying trees over the trails are a common occurrence so also be prepared to do some ducking or climbing to get around these obstacles. If you hike during winter, water seeping onto the Fall Creek and South Fork trails from the mountain sides can make walking a bit slippery. I recommend only trying this hike if you feel surefooted and have a good sense of balance. Fall Creek Unit is also known for its moderate to challenging elevation gains.
The Fall Creek Trail has a few crossovers from one side of the creek to the other. Bridges or logs serve as crossing points. South Fork Trail has more established creek crossings but a sharper elevation gain.
Both trails offer a visual and aural experience as they closely follow the creeks. Toppled redwood trees form dams over which water vigorously rushes down the creeks.
The roaring sound of water can be heard throughout the lower elevations of Fall Creek Unit. It’s not until you hike higher up along Big Ben Trail or on Ridge Trail at the junction of Truck Trail that the sounds of flowing water recede.
