Upper Wilder Ranch is an amazing place for hiking and caching. It has huge, sweeping views of the ocean, open meadows, shady redwood groves, mossy oaks, seasonal creeks, and caches old and new! I placed this series of new caches to encourage people to enjoy this beautiful backcountry. The caches are part of a collection that's been growing in my garage for quite a while now. They're all large, colorful, and/or Santa Cruz-themed.
This is the largest cache in the collection -- a 50cal plastic ammo can. This meadow of coyote brush looked like the perfect place to hide a large cache close to the trail, but I wanted something distinctive to use as a reference point. Enter the toyon! There's only one in this area and it stands out well above the surrounding brush. In the fall and winter, you can recognize toyon by its bright red berries. In the spring and summer, just look for a taller bush with darker leaves. The toyon bush itself is too far off the trail to use as the cache hiding spot, but you can use it as a reference if you're having trouble. Check the hint!
Edit 9/3/22: It's become evident to me that using the toyon as a reference only works for part of the year when it has berries. If you're visiting at any other time, just follow the coordinates and look for a big cache!
The nearest starting point for this hike is the Twin Gates entrance on Empire Grade. Street parking is available nearby. Wilder Ranch hours are 8:00am - sunset daily. Happy hunting!