Reviewed October 31, 2026.
Quail Hollow Ranch County Park has opened new hiking access into the Pace Family Wilderness, adding another reason to explore the Santa Cruz Mountains—but this is not a dog-friendly trail opening.
Direct answer: No. Dogs are not allowed on the trails or in the sensitive habitat areas at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, including the new Pace Family Wilderness routes. A leashed dog may be in designated developed areas around the visitor center and driveway, but not on the hiking trails; follow current signs when you arrive.
The distinction is easy to miss. Santa Cruz County generally allows leashed dogs in many county parks, so a newly opened public trail can sound like a new dog-walking option. Quail Hollow is a specific exception because its sandy soils and rare habitat need tighter protection.
What opened at Quail Hollow Ranch?
Santa Cruz County Parks says the Pace Family Wilderness trails are now open for hiking. The project connects Quail Hollow Ranch’s existing 4.5-mile trail network with a 79.5-acre property that the county received in 1997 but could not previously reach through a public route.
The county’s current project page describes a half-mile Pace Access Trail and a two-mile, figure-eight Pace Loop. The official Quail Hollow Ranch page identifies the Pace section as hikers-only and includes it in a longer Grand Loop through the park.
The opening creates meaningful new public access, but “hikers-only” does not simply mean no bikes or horses. The park’s separate pet restriction still applies: dogs do not belong on these trails.
Why are dogs excluded from the trails?
Quail Hollow protects Santa Cruz Mountains sandhills habitat, a landscape built on fragile sandy soils with plants and animals found in very limited places. County Parks identifies sensitive species at the park including the endangered Ben Lomond spineflower, threatened silver-leafed manzanita, Santa Cruz wallflower, Mount Hermon June beetle and Zayante band-winged grasshopper.
The county’s current dog-access page states that leashed dogs are generally allowed in county parks and beaches except at Scott Creek Beach and on Quail Hollow Ranch’s trails and sensitive habitat areas. An official park rules page explains that dogs marking along the trails can disrupt wildlife activity and that the easily eroded soil is vulnerable to trampling.
This is a habitat rule, not a judgment about an individual dog’s temperament, recall or hiking experience. Keeping even a calm dog off the trail is part of what lets the new access remain compatible with the land it crosses.
Where can a leashed dog go at Quail Hollow?
County park guidance allows leashed dogs in the developed visitor-center and driveway area, while keeping them off the trail network. Because signs and designated boundaries on the ground control access, do not assume that an open lawn, path or connector is permitted just because it looks developed.
If the purpose of the visit is to hike, leave the dog at home and enjoy the Pace trail as a people-only outing. If the purpose is a dog walk, choose a clearly permitted route instead. Santa Cruz County’s dog page lists leashed options including East Cliff Drive County Parkway, the Polo Grounds County Park perimeter trail and Pinto Lake County Park trails.
How should you plan the visit?
Quail Hollow Ranch is open from sunrise to sunset. Check the county park page and current trail map before leaving, allow enough daylight for the full route, stay on established trails and obey temporary signs or closures. A newly opened trail can still have changing conditions as visitors and land managers settle into regular use.
For more verified California access information, use Salt Hound’s California Dog Adventure Finder and California Dog Guide. If changing conditions or an outdoor exposure creates a safety question, start with the California Dog Hazard Center or the broader Dog Resource Center.
The new Pace Family Wilderness access is worth celebrating precisely because it opens a rare landscape carefully. For dog people, respecting this particular boundary is part of being a good trail neighbor: take the hike without the dog, then give them their own outing somewhere that officially welcomes them.
Source and freshness note: Trail status, route descriptions, park hours, habitat information and dog restrictions were checked against Santa Cruz County Parks pages on October 31, 2026. Access rules can change; follow posted signs and current county notices.