About Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek, California
Boulder Creek is a small rural mountain town on the southwest side of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Population: 5,492 (as of 2020 census)
Boulder Creek is at the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, located between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz, in a small patch of temperate rainforest connected to the oldest state park in California: Big Basin Redwoods. With a boomtown-style downtown, located along historic Highway 9, Boulder Creek is at the nexus of three waterways: Boulder Creek, Bear Creek, and the San Lorenzo River, which lovingly gives it the nickname Turkey Foot. Located at the remote northern end of the San Lorenzo Valley, Boulder Creek is in the tribal territory of the Achistaca Awaswas Ohlone people and was one of the last homes of grizzly bears in the Bay Area.
Boulder Creek post office was established in 1872 and the town largely centered around logging in its early days with a flume and railroad connected into Santa Cruz. The town was incorporated shortly in the 1920s-30s but as a wild place who preferred less oversight, the town has been unincorporated since 1941.
This neck of the woods has been a natural refuge for all walks of life for many generations + Boulder Creek remains a unique rural haven to this day. In August 2020, our community suffered through the CZU Lightning Complex and we're still in recovery.
Boulder Creek is a strong community though + here are our local resources for reference:
- Radio Station: KBCZ 89.3
- Newspaper: SLV POST
- Business Association: Boulder Creek Business Association
- Chamber: San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Post Office: Boulder Creek USPS
- Library: Santa Cruz Public Library - Boulder Creek Branch
- Fire Department: Boulder Creek Fire District
- Sheriff: Santa Cruz County - Boulder Creek Office
- Parks: Boulder Creek Recreation + Park District
- Schools: San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District
If you visit our small town, please be respectful of locals + our environment.
Cheers to rural mountain life!
Here are some of my favorite photos I've captured of downtown:
