Skip to content
Byway
JoinOpen app
Historic site · California

Bear Enclosure

Bear Enclosure from directly overhead

Bear Enclosure is a historic site in California, at a modelled elevation of 75 m. Loma Prieta stands 1,154 m to the northeast, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is DeLaveaga Park, a park 0.1 miles away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 passes 28 miles off.

The record

What the record says

Built
1919
Inscription
abandoned zoo 1939
Visiting

What to expect

Access
Yes
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates36.99239, -122.00228

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Historic sites
  • Harvey West Historic Structure: 0.6 mi
  • Branciforte: 1.0 mi
  • Santa Cruz Bicentennial Monument: 1.5 mi
  • Clock Tower: 1.7 mi
  • Compass Rose Plaza: 1.7 mi
Peaks
  • La Corona: 1.0 mi
  • Bolcoff Hill: 1.1 mi
  • Prospect Hill: 1.2 mi
  • Horseback Hill: 2.2 mi
  • Mount Massiah: 2.8 mi
Attractions
  • Ropes Course: 1.4 mi
  • Williams-Reynolds House: 1.9 mi
  • "The Lost Boys" Grandpa's House: 2.0 mi
  • Giant Dipper: 2.0 mi
  • Train Engine: 2.1 mi
Parks
  • DeLaveaga Park: 0.1 mi
  • John Franks Park: 0.4 mi
  • Arana Gulch Creek / Brookwood Drive: 0.8 mi
  • El Portal Park: 0.8 mi
  • Carbonera Creek Open Space: 0.9 mi
Nature reserves
  • Spineflower Habitat Protection Zone: 0.6 mi
  • Arana Gulch: 1.0 mi
  • Whitewater Cove Riparian Corridor: 1.7 mi
  • Highfield Greenbelt: 1.7 mi
  • Jessie Street Marsh: 1.7 mi
Artworks: 56
  • Great Blue Heron Walkway: 1.3 mi
  • Santa Cruz Art League Galleries: 1.6 mi
  • Dragon Archway (The Last Chinatown): 1.7 mi
  • Collateral Damage: 1.7 mi
  • Otter Touching Its Tail: 1.7 mi
Gardens: 52
Museums: 51
Picnic sites: 50
Beaches: 49
Waterfalls: 23
  • Moose Lodge Falls: 2.6 mi
  • Ferndell: 5.2 mi
  • Maple Falls: 7.1 mi
  • Fairy Falls: 7.4 mi
  • Five Finger Falls: 8.7 mi
Springs: 16
  • Crystal Springs (private): 1.7 mi
  • Horse Trough Spring: 2.6 mi
  • Dodero Spring: 2.7 mi
  • Redwood Springs: 4.9 mi
  • Old Growth Spring: 5.8 mi
Cliffs: 11
  • Anthony's Bluff: 1.8 mi
  • Chrystal Cliff: 2.1 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 3.1 mi
  • Capitola Bluffs: 3.3 mi
  • Sand Hill Bluff: 8.4 mi
Ghost towns: 10
Lighthouses: 2
  • Santa Cruz West Breakwater Light: 2.2 mi
  • Santa Cruz Lighthouse: 3.1 mi
Natural arches: 1
  • Natural Bridges Rock Arch: 4.3 mi
Covered bridges: 1
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 17.1 miles of Bear Enclosure. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Loma PrietaNE1,154 m12.0 mi
Crystal PeakNE1,097 m12.4 mi
Mount UmunhumNNE1,063 m12.9 mi
Mount ThayerNNE1,061 m12.7 mi
Mount ChualNE1,046 m12.8 mi
Mount BielawskiNNW985 m16.7 mi
Castle RockNNW979 m17.1 mi
El SombrosoNNE917 m13.8 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1218:4619:20
June solstice05:4919:5320:32
September equinox06:5718:3219:06
December solstice07:1816:1516:55

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F525355586063646565625651
Precip in6.46.14.32.00.90.20.00.00.11.33.26.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Santa Cruz, under a mile away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element way/694634838

More historic sites in California

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore historic sites
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Bear Enclosure.

Byway plans around your taste, mapped places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens