Big Rock Hole (San Lorenzo River)
UnverifiedIntermediate (31-60 ft)37.02150, -122.05500
Confirmed by 0 jumpers
A wide, deep pool on the San Lorenzo in the middle of Henry Cowell Redwoods, named for the big rock beside it that everyone jumps off feet-first. There is a sandy beach and a rope swing, and it sits far enough up the river from Highway 9 that it feels like nobody knows about it, even twenty minutes from Santa Cruz.
Jumps at this location
The big rock
Height not listed
Intermediate (31-60 ft)
Rope swing
Height not listed
Intermediate (31-60 ft)
Warnings
Feet-first off the rock: nobody has measured the depth, the river rearranges its gravel every winter, and the pool is tannin-dark so you cannot see the bottom. Check the rope and its branch before trusting it. Poison oak lines the trail.
Access
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The short way in is the Rincon lot, a dirt pullout on the river side of Highway 9 about 3 miles north of Santa Cruz: cross the tracks and walk down Rincon Road, roughly a mile. From park headquarters it is closer to a 5-mile round trip on the Big Rock Hole Trail. The pin is approximate — follow the river trail until you reach the rock and the beach.
Best conditions
July through early October, once the river drops and warms. The redwoods keep it shaded, so midday is the warm window.