Ben Lomond
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Ben Lomond

Ben Lomond

San Lorenzo Valley redwood town named by Scottish settlers, with river swimming holes and Highland Games traditions.

In the San Lorenzo Valley, nestled in the redwoods, is Ben Lomond — named by an early Scottish immigrant who missed his homeland. Highway 9, the lifeblood of the valley, connects the three valley towns of Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek with the outside world.

Ben Lomond is home to Park Hall, where the Mountain Community Theater puts on plays several times a year, and Highlands Park, which hosts the annual Highland Games every spring — a tradition that goes back to the valley's Scottish founders. The San Lorenzo River runs through town and offers swimming holes in summer. A few kilometres away, the seasonal Loch Lomond Reservoir — also named for Scotland — is open for fishing, kayaking, and hiking from spring through summer.

Local colour is on display at establishments like Henflings Tavern, Ciao Bella, and The Tyrolean Inn, which hosts an annual Oktoberfest. All this in a scenic valley with a river running through it and Coast Redwood forest pressing in from every side.

Guide

Things to Do

Ben Lomond sits in the San Lorenzo Valley surrounded by second-growth Coast Redwood forest, and the outdoors is the main draw. Loch Lomond Reservoir — named, like the town, after the Scottish original — is a short drive away and open seasonally for fishing, boating, and hiking along the shore. The San Lorenzo River runs through the valley, offering swimming holes in summer.

The Highlands Park hosts the annual Ben Lomond Highland Games each spring — Scottish athletics, pipe bands, and clan gatherings that honour the valley's Scottish roots. The Mountain Community Theater at Park Hall puts on plays several times a year, drawing performers and audiences from across the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Highway 9 connects Ben Lomond with Felton to the south — where the Felton Covered Bridge and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park are worth a visit — and Boulder Creek to the north.