If you’ve ever wondered what life was like in the wild frontier days of the 1800s, you won’t need a time machine—you only need to visit Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton. Founded in the 1830s by mountain man Isaac Graham, Daniel Boone’s nephew, this historic and unique attraction continues to draw crowds more than 150 years later.
Roaring Camp’s main highlights are its authentic narrow- and standard-gauge steam trains, which were the first in the area to carry passengers to the beach and to the Big Trees way back in 1875. These two trains are still going strong today, chugging along through the towering, old-growth redwoods of Bear Mountain on one route, or along forested San Lorenzo River Canyon to streets lined with charming Victorian houses on a longer, round-trip excursion to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
While the train rides alone are enough to get any history buff excited, Roaring Camp also offers lots of events for extra entertainment. Events have included the Starlight Evening train to experience the majestic redwoods at night; the Summer Gathering of Mountain Men, where you can visit 1830s wilderness encampments; the Musical Saw Festival where you can listen to fiddlers play country music on saws and homemade instruments; the Moonlight Dinner Train to Bear Mountain; Great Train Robberies, staged reenactments that give youo a taste of the lawless Wild West; and the annual Civil War Battles and Encampment, one of the longest-running Civil War reenactments in the West.
You can also munch on chuckwagon-size barbecue meals, pick up souvenirs at the general store and visit old frontier-style buildings throughout the camp. There are also eco-hikes and mountain bike tours for those who have the same adventuresome spirit that originally led Graham to put Roaring Camp on the map. –Stephanie Soong
Where:
5355 Graham Hill Rd., Felton (off Mt. Hermon Rd. exit from Hwy. 17)
Hours:
Bear Mountain train (1:15 hours) and Santa Cruz Beach Train (3 hours) departures vary; see website for updated schedules
More Info:
831/335-4484; www.roaringcamp.com
