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Cotoni-Coast Dairies – Hawk Trail Information
This dramatic coastal landscape features rolling foothills, riparian canyons, and wide-open views across 5,800 acres of protected terrain in northern Santa Cruz County.
Watch for:
Native and protected wildlife, including red-legged frogs, steelhead trout, coho salmon, mule deer, and soaring red-tailed hawks.
Hiking Details for Hawk (Kaknú) Trail
Distance: 2.5 miles round trip
Elevation change: 280 feet
Hiking time: 1-1.5 hours
Trail surface: Dirt
Best Season: All year
Managing agency: Bureau of Land Management
Parking lot location: Click here for directions
Explore Cotoni-Coast Dairies! (pronounced “Chuh-toe-knee”) Named after the Cotoni tribe of the Ohlone people, this stunning stretch of land is a mix of redwood forests, oak woodlands, and breezy coastal grasslands.
The Hawk (Kaknú) Trail is your gateway into the national monument—winding through rolling foothills with ocean views that’ll make you stop and stare.
Keep an eye out for native plants like yarrow, coyote bush, and black sage, and you might even spot a hawk soaring overhead!
Want something a bit more challenging? Take the Tree Trail for a steeper route into oak woodlands and sweeping coastal overlooks.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies – Hawk Trail Photo Gallery
About Cotoni-Coast Dairies
This landscape has been home to Indigenous communities for thousands of years and continues to hold deep cultural significance for the descendants of the Cotoni people of the Ohlone tribe. For more than a century, the land operated as a dairy before facing potential development. In 1998, conservation groups stepped in to protect its 5,800 acres, ensuring its natural and cultural resources would endure. The property was later transferred to the Bureau of Land Management in 2014 and is now part of the California Coastal National Monument, managed to preserve wildlife habitat, safeguard cultural sites, and provide thoughtful public access.