Felton, CA

Felton is the crossroads of the lower San Lorenzo Valley, where Highway 9 meets the roads to Scotts Valley and over Graham Hill. It is the first place in the canyon that feels like a town instead of a string of forest lots, and neighbors from Lompico, Mount Hermon and the upper valley come down to it for most of what they need. The town was laid out in 1868 and grew on lumber and lime. Its founder dreamed of a railroad stop here, and when the plans stalled and later routes bypassed the town, Felton kept its own main street. Rail came back as recreation. Roaring Camp's narrow-gauge steam engines, some dating to 1890, climb toward Bear Mountain through old redwoods, and that ride is why many people from outside the valley know Felton at all. Just outside the center, a covered bridge from the early 1890s crosses the river and is billed as the tallest of its kind in the country. Beyond downtown the homes drift up into the hills, a spread of cabins, cottages and larger wooded houses of every age and size. The San Lorenzo River runs through the area, and its banks serve as the town's informal backyard. For a meal out, Cowboy Bar & Grill and Empire Grill are the sit-down options, Sushi San covers sushi, and Taqueria Vallarta does tacos. The Bigfoot Discovery Museum is the quirkiest stop in town. Day to day, Felton works as the valley's shopping stop. Groceries, taverns and the library sit close together, and shoppers from the upper towns stop here on the way down to Santa Cruz. Most trips are by car, though the center is compact enough to cross on foot. Summer brings the visitors, and the highway shows it. That is the price of having a full set of everyday services that the smaller neighbors up the valley do without.