Tucked away among the giant California Redwoods, in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Soquel, lies this 90 acre camp. Hidden Falls features outdoor sleeping areas for tent camping with cooking shelters, a cabin, a central meadow for sports and games, and an amphitheater style campfire circle with a stage. Hidden Falls is one our best troop camping destinations. A short trail hike leads to Hidden Falls, one of its many gems. Stay onsite or travel offsite to nearby Santa Cruz beaches on Monterey Bay, plan to sea kayak up Elkhorn Slough to view the sea otters, or hike in one of the many nearby State Parks.
Rental Period
22 hours, 4:00 PM–2:00 PM
Hidden Falls has one cabin for an indoor sleep over option and three completely self-sufficient group campsites.
Total camp capacity: 132 people
INDOOR OPTION
Home Of Friendship: A youth hostel-style cabin with one large multi-use room, kitchen, two sleeping rooms and indoor bathroom. Suited best to a sleep-over where most of the group will sleep on mats in the common room space. There are also two other smaller rooms for sleeping pads.
- Overnight capacity of 24
- Dormitory style rooms (sleeping pads provided, bring your own bedding)
- Indoor Bathroom with showers
- Meeting area with couches
- Woodstove
- Porch
- Complete Kitchen
Lori’s Lodge: A small bunkhouse with capacity for fourteen.
- 6 bunkbeds (12 total beds)
- Seperate room with 2 beds
- Indoor bathroom with shower
- Porch
- Outdoor picnic area with barbeque, campfire ring, and tables
OUTDOOR OPTIONS
- All camping units have low flush toilets, food storage, campfire circle, potable water spigot, pop-up tent areas, and picnic tables.
- Madrone and Laurel: (Capacity 24) Three-sided log-cabin style shelter.
- Redwood: (Capacity 24) Rustic 3-sided sleeping shelter.
- Oak: (Capacity 24) Open space with no shelter.
On-Site Resources & Amenities
- Archery range: available to rent or to book through Outdoor Program Staff. Click here for more information.
- Hatchet Throwing range: available to book through Outdoor Program Staff. Click here for more information.
Local Attractions
Santa Cruz County is one of the few places where a trail can begin in a redwood forest and end on the beach. Santa Cruz County has 14 state parks in all, including Natural Bridges State Beach, Manresa State Beach, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Wilder Ranch State Park and others. These gorgeous parks are just one of many ways to experience Santa Cruz County’s natural beauty. This is a great resource for planning a weekend in the Santa Cruz area including local parks and beach information.
Elkhorn Slough is known for its abundant birds, sea life, and sea otters. Trails, tours, and the visitor’s center are some of many ways to explore this unique saltwater environment.
Monterey Bay Kayak located at Moss Landing and at the mouth of Elkhorn Slough is a GSNC approved vendor. Hire a sea kayak guide and paddle up Elkhorn Slough to get up close to sea life and experience this gem.
Rates for GSNorCal Members
| Name of Rental Unit | Capacity | Girl Scout Rate |
| Home of Friendship | 24 | $250 |
| Lori’s Lodge | 12 | $130 |
| Madrone (w/ cooking shelter) | 24 | $115 |
| Laurel (w/ cooking shelter) | 24 | $115 |
| Redwood (w/ rustic shelter) | 24 | $110 |
| Oak | 24 | $90 |
| Entire Site | 132 | $770 |
Please note: Entire Site rental does not include Archery Range and Hatchet Throwing. Click here to reserve Archery Range and Hatchet Throwing.
Camp Hidden Falls
726 Olson Road
Soquel, CA 95073
Please note: A GPS/ Google Maps will not properly direct you to camp. You will get lost in an area where there is no cell reception. Please be sure to use the directions below.
From San Jose to Olson Road:
- Take Hwy 17 South towards Santa Cruz.
- Follow Hwy 17 South for approximately 14 miles.
- Take Summit Rd exit (sharp right turn).
- At the stop sign, turn right and cross over highway.
- At the stop sign on the other side of the highway, turn left onto Summit Rd.
- Continue 3.9 miles on Summit Rd, passing the store on your left.
- After store turn right onto San Jose-Soquel Rd.
- Continue 5.9 miles on San Jose-Soquel Rd (use your odometer!)
- At the speed bumps in the road, slow down and make a very sharp right hand turn onto Olson Rd.
- Continue approximately 1/2 mile on Olson Rd until your reach a fork in the road—just beyond the mailboxes.
- Take slight left through the camp entrance gate.
- Drive through gate and continue driving for 3/4 of a mile on a curvy, narrow road, until you see the sign for Hidden Falls.
- Continue over the bridge and take a right into parking lot.
Important: Our camp road is narrow and curvy—DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY.