West Glenwood Preserve
Park
50 acres2.8 mi of trail
Orange LoopBlue LoopMagenta LoopGreen Loop+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Photo by John Pilge. · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Scotts Valley
13% of Scotts Valley’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 10 miles of mapped trail cross Scotts Valley, 2.2 per square mile of land. 13% of Scotts Valley’s land is conserved, about 369 acres.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #93 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
369 acres · of 4.6 sq mi of land
Trails
10 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
248 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
12 mi lanes · 1.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Scotts Valley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Scotts Valley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Scotts Valley is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #93 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Scotts Valley’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (10 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land21 acres of park per 1,000 residents (248 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13BParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 89%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is West Glenwood Preserve, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lodato Open Space Preserve
Nature preserve
51 acres1.3 mi of trail
Lodato Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Skypark
Managed by Scotts Valley, City of
43 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 9 parks & preserves
West Glenwood Preserve50 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLodato Open Space Preserve51 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSkypark43 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Scotts Valley, City of
DirectionsSiltanen Community Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenwood Meadows7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Scotts Valley, City of
DirectionsMacDorsa Park9 acres
DirectionsTorrey Oaks Linear Park1 acres
DirectionsHocus Pocus Park1 acres
DirectionsCamp Evers Fishing Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
369 conserved acres
13% of Scotts Valley’s land. Who manages Scotts Valley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city228 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits188 ac
Joint168 ac
Regional Water Districts3 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 170 acConservation Easement · 168 acLocal Park · 97 acLocal Other or Unknown · 86 acLocal Recreation Area · 48 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Open Space Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 170 | Closed |
| Ladato Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Lodato Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Skypark Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Scotts Valley holding 4 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Unnamed Site - Scotts Valley, City of Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Bean Creek Estates Sandhills Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 16 | Closed |
| Scotts Valley holding 6 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| MacDorsa Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Siltanen Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
12 places to go in Scotts Valley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Scotts Valley
Infinity Tub
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Scotts Valley
MacDorsa Park PlaygroundIn MacDorsa Park
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Scotts Valley
Bark Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Scotts Valley
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Scotts Valley
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Scotts Valley
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
17 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.3 miUnpaved · 6.7 mi
Red Loop1.1 mi
Lodato Loop Trail1.1 mi
Gold Loop0.9 mi
Connector Trail0.9 mi
Orange Loop0.6 mi
Blue Loop0.6 mi
Navy Loop0.6 mi
Magenta Loop0.4 mi
Green Loop0.3 mi
Yellow Loop0.3 mi
7 more trails
Gold Loop / Navy Loop
0.2 miEntrance Trail
0.2 miYellow Loop / Magenta Loop
0.1 miBlue Loop / Orange Loop
0.1 miRed Loop / Gold Loop
0.1 miBlue Loop / Green Loop
0.1 miOrange Shortcut
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
12 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.0 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
10Tennis
5Baseball
4Basketball
3Soccer
3Multi-sport
2Football
1Skate park
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Hiram D. Scott HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Scotts Valley: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 61 | 62 | 65 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 66 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 8.1 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 7.7 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 8.1 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Scotts Valley →
Questions about parks and trails in Scotts Valley
Where can I hike in Scotts Valley?
The longest trail networks: West Glenwood Preserve, 2.8 miles; Lodato Open Space Preserve, 1.3 miles; Skypark, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Scotts Valley is conserved land?
13% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Scotts Valley’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at West Glenwood Preserve (on leash) and Skypark. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Scotts Valley?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of painted or protected lanes, 1.0 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Scotts Valley?
46,272 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scotts Valley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 248 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Scotts Valley have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #93 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Scotts Valley neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →