Ben Lomond

Those looking for a nice, affordable place to raise a family on the Central  California coastal area, will want to explore Ben Lomond. Nestled among the Redwoods, Ben Lomond is a warm and inviting community with a river running through it that offers a variety of recreation and a convenient location. 

Location and Flavor

Located between Felton and Boulder Creek and in close proximity to Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay's beach resort towns, Ben Lomond offers a respite in the misty redwoods. Scenic Redwood Highway 9 winds through the Santa Cruz mountains on the way to Ben Lomond. Don't let the scenery distract you too much because Ben Lomond is one of those one traffic light towns missed in a blink. While there's no central town location, there's much offered here for such a small community (population less than 3,000), including a community theatre, antique, crafts and gifts shops; wineries, beautiful parks and a Bavarian Inn with beer garden and Oktoberfest. The San Lorenzo river provides scenic views for many homes as well recreation.
 
Those who live in Ben Lomond can enjoy the best of all worlds: one of the most affordable communities in the region, beautiful redwoods, a short 8 miles drive to the quintessential beach town of Santa Cruz, and a 34-mile drive to Silicon Valley's San Jose.

Activities and Attractions

One of Ben Lomond's many attractions is Highlands Park, which recently played host to the annual Loch Lomond Highland Games and Celtic Gathering. This Santa Cruz County Park offers softball and soccer fields, tennis court, picnic areas, a playground, senior and children's centers, hiking trails leading to cascading water falls and one of the County's most requested wedding facilities, a beautiful house with picture windows and private lawns.

The San Lorenzo River with its swimming and fishing holes is also a popular attraction in Ben Lomond.  Along the waterways in Ben Lomond you can view a wide variety of wildlife. In the daytime look for mule deer, gray squirrels, chipmunks and brush rabbits. At dusk or after sunset you may spot raccoons and gray foxes. Cougars live here too but are rarely seen.

In the way of entertainment, Ben Lomond's Park Hall hosts the Mountain Community Theater, which puts on plays several times a year. And residents of Ben Lomond also can enjoy the big town offerings of A&E in nearby communities such as Santa Cruz or less than two hours away, San Francisco.

Historical Tidbits

The community was named by an early Scottish immigrant who missed his homeland, Beinn Laomainn (Beacon Peak), a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

Highlands Park also has a Scottish heritage. In the early 1900's Lord and Lady Anderson, of England, purchased the acreage that now makes up the park. The Andersons built an English-style mansion there, naming it "The Highlands," in honor of Lord Anderson's Scottish heritage.

The Nasser family, entrepreneurs in the entertainment business who bought the property in the late 1930's replaced the aging mansion with the home that graces the park today. In the Nasser's day many weddings and other celebrations were also held here. Santa Cruz County Parks purchased the property in 1974.