Boulder Creek, California
Boulder Creek is a community of 4,632 people in Santa Cruz County, California.
Why visit Boulder Creek
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ben Lomond Mountain, The San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club and Forest Swimming Pool.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Boulder Creek
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek () is an unincorporated place in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains. It is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, with a population of 5,429 as of the 2020 census. Throughout its history, Boulder Creek has been home to a logging town and a resort community, as well as a counter-culture haven. Today, it is identified as the gateway to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
From the Wikipedia article Boulder Creek, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club
Golf course · 2.4 mi
18 hole Par 65
16901 Big Basin Highway, Boulder Creek
Restaurants and cafes10
Boulder Creek Brewery
Bar and pub · Burger, American · 0.7 mi
13101 Central Avenue
Mo-Su 12:00-21:00
Boulder Creek Roasting Company
Cafe · 0.6 mi
13226 Central Avenue
Mo-Fr 05:00-19:00, Sa-Su 06:00-19:00
Jenna Sue's Café
Cafe · 0.8 mi
13090 Central Avenue
Mo-Fr 06:00-14:30; Sa-Su 07:00-14:30
The Red Pearl
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.7 mi
13151 Central Avenue
History
The Boulder Creek area is in the traditional tribal territory of the Achistaca, an Awaswas-speaking people of the Ohlone cultural unit, who were a group of contiguous bands that inhabited the coastal region of present-day California from the San Francisco Bay to the Monterey Peninsula and down to San José and Salinas Valley.
There are no living survivors of the Achistaca, who are spoken for by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.
According to one anthropologist, the indigenous name for the area was Achista and tentatively included Acsaggi.
The earliest European presence in the area was a Spanish exploratory party in 1769, led overland from Mexico by Don Gaspar de Portolá and Father Juan Crespí. On August 28, 1791, a Spanish mission, Mission Santa Cruz, was established by the Franciscans from Mission Santa Clara de Asís for the conversion of the Awaswas. The Awaswas were moved to Mission Santa Cruz and Mission San Juan Bautista, which claimed the land and peoples. The Awaswas language and its dialects became the main language spoken at Mission Santa Cruz.
From the History section of Boulder Creek, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Churches and places of worship4
Grace Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Boulder Creek United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.0 mi
12855 Boulder Street
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Santa Cruz Public Library System Boulder Creek Library
Library · 0.5 mi
13390 West Park Avenue, Boulder Creek
Healthcare2
Creekside Wellness/Creekside Collective
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
12599 Central Avenue, Boulder Creek
Map of Boulder Creek
66 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 39°F | 9.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 40°F | 7.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 42°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 49°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 49°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 40°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ben Lomond #4 (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Santa Cruz County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Brookdale 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- Ben Lomond 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Bonny Doon 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Scotts Valley 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Lexington Hills 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Saratoga 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Los Gatos 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Monte Sereno 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Santa Cruz 12 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Cupertino 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Grace Episcopal Chrurch, Mrwrite, CC BY-SA 3.0
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