Mount Hermon offers outdoor living in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Mount Hermon is a small community of about 1,100 people in Santa Cruz County. Nestled among mountains and state and county parks, the area offers lots of opportunities to get outside, like hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Bean Creek and Zayante Creek, branches of the San Lorenzo River, flow through Mount Hermon, and Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz is less than 10 miles south, both of which make it easy for residents to enjoy water recreation. But access to plenty of recreation doesn't mean Mount Hermon is hours away from civilization. “Mount Hermon is a heartbeat to Santa Cruz,” says Geneva Lawless, a Realtor at David Lyng Real Estate with over 20 years of experience. “It’s a great location for commuters who work in the Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz, and it has great outdoors.”
Cabins and custom-built properties in Mount Hermon
Built throughout the 20th century, many houses feature brick or wood exteriors, with elevated or raised foundations due to the hilly landscape. Cabins, cottages and raised ranch-style homes with decks and pillared balconies are common, with an occasional New Traditional or custom-built home in the mix. “Home prices are all over the map,” Lawless days. “It can go anywhere from half a million to $3 million. There are a variety of summer cabins, which is how the place started out, and then over the years, people built bigger properties. There are also over a dozen large custom homes built with fire-safe materials, but these usually don’t come on the market.” While a few cabins may come on the market for around $300,000, most houses are between $500,000 and $1.2 million. Lot sizes can reach 6 acres, and many lots are covered by dense woods. Mount Hermon is in a moderate wildfire zone, and properties may need fire insurance.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and county parks abut the area
The 4,600-acre Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, known for its redwood trees, abuts the community and offers camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and picnic areas. Mount Hermon Adventures has zipline and canopy tours to explore the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Michael Gray Field County Park has a sports field, and Quail Hollow Ranch County Park features equestrian trails. Those into surfing, sailing and water sports can take a short drive to the beaches in Santa Cruz.
Mount Hermon is served by two public school districts
The community is split between two school systems, Scotts Valley Unified and San Lorenzo Valley Unified school districts. Those zoned for Scotts Valley may attend Brook Knoll Elementary School and Scotts Valley Middle School, both of which have an A-minus grade from Niche. Scotts Valley High School, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, gets an A. Prospective schools in San Lorenzo Valley include San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School, San Lorenzo Valley Middle School and San Lorenzo Valley High School. The elementary and middle schools get a B-plus and a B, respectively. San Lorenzo Valley High has an A-minus, with career and technical education courses in aquaculture, aquaponics, green engineering and robotics.
Shops and restaurants in Felton and Scotts Valley
Located off Mount Hermon Road, Heavenly Roadside Café serves breakfast and brunch classics. Neighboring communities have more restaurant options, including Empire Grille in Felton and Otoro Sushi in Scotts Valley. Scotts Village Shopping Center has Target and Safeway less than 5 miles east.
Distance to Santa Cruz and San Jose Mineta International Airport
Mount Hernon sits between California state routes 9 and 17, both of which connect to U.S. Route 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in Santa Cruz. San Jose Mineta International Airport is about 30 miles north, and Dignity Health-Dominican Hospital is about 10 miles south in Santa Cruz. Public transit is provided by Santa Cruz Metro.
Events in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz
Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center hosts many concerts in the summer. Scotts Valley, adjacent to the community, offers more events throughout the year. These include the Scotts Valley Alfred Hitchcock Festival in March and the Scotts Valley Art, Wine, and Beer Festival in August. Beachfront celebrations like sailing races take place in Santa Cruz.
