Three and a half mile meander through wild willow, hooker’s primrose, bush lupine, and sandy dunes. Enjoy spectacular views of Pigeon Point and Año Nuevo Island.  If the wind is down, this hike offers great potential for whale watching.  Take a break at the halfway point to observe passing California Sea Lions as well as the site of the 1864 wreck of the ship Sir John Franklin.  

This is an intermediate level three and a half mile hike through the riparian corridor of Whitehouse Creek and then up through coastal scrub and Douglas Fir eco-systems.   The peak of the trail offers sweeping vistas of the reefs and beaches south of Costanoa.   This is an excellent option for those who want a little bit more of a workout as well as opportunities to see the local flora and fauna.

For those who really want to get their heart rate up, this eight and a half mile advanced hike features beautiful views with over a 1,300 foot elevation gain.  This hike offers ample opportunity to experience a diversity of ecosystems from Coastal Scrub up into the Redwood Rainforests.  The final stop offers a stunning view from Pigeon Point to Waddell Creek.   

This is a one of a kind opportunity to explore California’s first State Park. Meet your guide at the Waddell Creek trailhead 5 miles south of Costanoa. This is a 12 mile round trip designed for beginning to intermediate riders. Doublewide fire roads meander along Waddell Creek and eventually lead up to the spectacular Berry Creek Falls. Weekend trips can add on a side tour of the Rancho del Oso Nature Center.

For groups with a limited amount of time but want to see as much as possible and get some exercise as well. Tours start at Costanoa and take the Old Highway 1 to the North where you can take in the windswept views of Franklin Point Beach. Gazos Creek Road then meanders east into a land of towering Redwoods and massive Ferns. Stop and break along the creek bed to cool your feet before the downhill leg back to Costanoa. This intermediate ride takes up to 2 hours.  For those who want to add on some mileage we can add a lunch stop in Pescadero and then return to Costanoa via Highway 1 South passing by Historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse on the way.

For the ambitious and experienced only!  Warm up along 7 miles of country back roads before entering Butano State Park. Butano is home to a complex system of hidden fire roads that lead to exhilarating saddlebacks and unparalleled views of the surrounding State Parks. The final drop back into the Redwoods will challenge the most technically advanced riders.  This is a half-day event geared for serious outdoor enthusiasts.

Summer and Fall are a great time to travel south 30 minutes into the lee of Northern Monterey Bay.  Here we can easily launch off of the Santa Cruz Municipal Pier into the nearby kelp forests where Sea Otters, Sea Lions and Dolphins await.   

Winter brings more challenging conditions and we base our tours out of the mouth of Elkhorn Slough.  Located in the middle of what Steinbeck referred to as the “Fertile Crescent”, tours of the Slough are highlighted by sightings of Harbor Seals, Skates , Rays and a wealth of Birdlife.   

For those that are up to the challenge, in the spring we offer open ocean guided kayak whale watching tours out of Davenport Landing.  Whales can be seen along the Northern California coast as early as December, but come March and April the kayaking conditions improve and Grey Whale calves hug the coast making for truly spectacular viewing.

The mountains of Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties host dozens of eclectic and world renown wineries. Custom guided Wine Tours are can be arranged for 3 hour to full day experiences.  Tours include transportation; pour fees, guide services and complimentary signature Costanoa tasting glasses. Tours routes and winery destinations are selected based on each group’s interests and schedule. See our Santa Cruz Mountains Winery Tour Menu for detailed descriptions of our favorite wineries.

Our first stop will be Beauregard Wine Tasting Room in Bonny Doon 15 minutes south of Costanoa.  4 Flights of wines and a complimentary tasting glass are part of this experience with expert wine maker staff available to answer questions and suggest food pairings for any wines you choose to purchase.  A scenic 20 minutes north will take you to Historic Pescadero and world renowned Harley Goat and Dairy Farm.   A tour of the Harley Farm will introduce you to the process of Cheese Making from Farm to Fridge.  After the tour enjoy a sampling of Cheeses and Appetizers in the Harley Farms Loft and then a relaxing drive back to Costanoa. Time permitting we can add on a short stop at Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Swanton Berry Farm.

The only thing better than a private Wine Tasting to end the day is to combine it with a completely no hold barred Tie Dye Class! Enjoy a 1.5 hour on-site outdoor Wine Tasting while making your own signature Costanoa Tie Dye T-Shirt. Includes all material all you have to do is bring a sense of creativeness and youthful abandon.

Get an early start to your day or book a mid-meeting stretching break with our professional yoga facilitators. All classes are designed to the ability level of your group. Yoga classes can be booked in conjunction with naturalist led hikes for the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

Learn about everything under the starts with NASA Ames Researcher Joe Jordan.  Joe will entertain and educate any group with facts, stories and humor regarding the celestial kingdom.  In the case of overcast conditions Joe will provide an indoor Slide Show.  Many groups opt to choose specific dates based on stages of the moon and known meteor showers.

Meet local falconer and ornithologist for an outdoor presentation of Owl, Falcons, Hawks Harriers and the occasional Kookobura !  Presentation includes the opportunity to see the birds up close and personal as well observe their flight and predation behaviors.  This is a Costanoa classic you won’t experience anywhere else.

3 Hours of gravity defying fun for all ages on your own private and mobile Climbing Wall!   Older participants might want the challenge of taking on their own route up the 40 foot wall while younger participants will be content to be bungeed into the air where they can add their own acrobatic flair to each bounce!

Riders age 4-12 can take turns riding two at a time on our full sized horses around the property. While Kids wait their turn to ride, families can socialize with our Donkeys, Mules and Goats.

A fun and educational opportunity for Costanoa Campers. Costanoa Kids Camp provides a safe, nurturing, fun and outdoor nature based experience. This is a great opportunity for kids to have a chance to play some great games, learn about some of the local natural history and have an overall great time. Kids Camp also allows parents to take a well-deserved break for a massage or some quiet time together. Potential Activities can include Tide pooling, Beach Exploration, Arts and Crafts and Tie Dye T-Shirt workshops.  Seasonal Kids Camps can focus on ornament making or Pumpkin Carving.

Explore the pristine open space adjacent to the lodge while using a map and compass. Orienteering is a high-energy outdoor challenge in which participants are broken up into teams of 3-5 and given a series of checkpoints to find while hiking on and off-trail. Each person learns a specific skill: compass navigation, topographical map reading and measuring distance using his/her paces. The three roles must share their new-found expertise and combine forces to add to their point total by finding as many points as possible.

The event is customized to be as inclusive or competitive as you like. Your team can discover some of the 400 acres of this private property in the Santa Cruz Mountains with stupendous views of the Pacific Ocean.

Imagine being able to tap into the abilities and talents of every team member while practicing and applying team process skills. Teams of 11 – 12 strategize how to acquire the greatest number of points for completing a series interactive challenges set out on the lodge lawn (each team activity takes about 20 minutes to complete and requires teamwork). This combination of sophisticated physical, intellectual and creative challenges engages everyone as there is a lot to do in a limited time.

Illuminating problem-solving, innovation, shared leadership, communication skills, team planning and time management, Pursuit is a multi-tasking timed event, but it’s not a race—we keep the competition “friendly.” Action-oriented by design, Pursuit can be built to fit your team’s targeted growth areas.

A great way to get out in nature, our Trail Venture program takes your group on a moderate but highly interactive hike. We stopping occasionally to engage in various team challenges such as Pipeline (rolling a golf ball along a series of tubes and troughs) or Team Morse Code along the way.

There is something special about getting into the great outdoors and walking side by side with your coworkers. The conversations that come up naturally or through facilitated discussion can be truly stimulating. These effects are multiplied by the team challenges (in teams of 8-10) which invariably spark more and richer dialogue.

Team Performance Challenges brings to life theories and models about team dynamics and role identification. Small teams of 12 participate in a series of activity stations; each takes 30-45 minutes, including a focused discussion about how to maximize individual involvement, plan effectively, and which leadership and participation roles work best. With dozens of activities in our repertoire, we can build a custom program that engages your team mentally and physically, helping them to evolve beyond their current level of performance.

It’s a rich program, because it’s 100% facilitator-led with guided debriefs after each challenge. Our facilitators create an environment in which personal and team insights are shared and subsequent connections back to workplace issues are made by the team. We help your team discover their strengths, then leverage them to better address areas of development.

Our LEGO® Landmarks program sparks a team’s creative juices as they work through the challenge of replicating iconic landmarks – such as the Golden Gate Bridge – using Legos.

The goal is to try to build the most impressive replica, with as many bells and whistles as you can fit in during the time allocated. Teamwork and strategy are key to make sure you best utilize your materials to build your assigned landmark. Each small team of 3-4 takes about 2 hours to accomplish this feat in an indoor meeting room.

Building LEGO® Landmarks is incredibly fun and rewarding and it’s also a great way to explore decision making and communication. To further explore these topical areas, we recommend combining the program with a corporate training workshop such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Communication Skills.

In this dynamic and fast-paced adventure, your group will face one surprise challenge after another. Each team is given a backpack with supplies, a time limit and a series of missions with target points to complete.

The “divide and conquer” feature enables some team members to join the field team and others to choose to staff mission control, relaying time-critical information (e.g., clues, coordinates, etc.) to the field teams as they receive it. Revealing and working with your individual and team strengths are keys to success.

Get Set…Go! Tests your team’s mettle by blending sophisticated problem-solving challenges, GPS skills and treasure-hunt clues or puzzles with hiking on Costanoa’s trails. This highly customized program accommodates your team objectives and fitness levels. No two Get Set…Go! adventures are the same.