Heart of Soquel

Description
The Heart of Soquel Plaza is a nearly 2-acre neighborhood park, located behind Soquel Village Post Office, has a bocce ball court, pedestrian trails with universal access, a plaza, benches and bike racks, and a beautiful riparian habitat. The parkway trail extends from the Heart of Soquel Plaza to the South Main Street bridge at the intersection with East Walnut Street, Soquel Lions Park, and Soquel Elementary School.

Park Hours
Sunrise to sunset.

Trail Hours
Sunrise to 10PM

Construction of Heart of Soquel Parkway
Construction of the Heart of Soquel Parkway was completed in February 2021.  The Parkway includes a new pervious concrete walking trail from Heart of Soquel Park Plaza, along Soquel Creek, to the pedestrian bridge behind the Soquel Elementary School.  The parkway includes an all access trail, habitat restoration, trail heads, drainage improvements, fencing, interpretive signage and a public art feature.  Funding for the project came from the California River Parkways Grant Program, along with the Habitat Conservation Fund, Active Transportation Program, Measure G, and other funding sources.

Parking
There is a parking lot with 34 spaces, 4 of which are ADA compliant.

Recreation
Park visitors can enjoy a univerally-accessible decomposed-granite nature walk along Soquel Creek, a bocce court, and benches to enjoy a picnic lunch or just relax  The plaza area is available for small-scale community event by reservation only; a fee and insurance requirement applies. Please contact the Facilities Office at (831)454-7938 for reservation information.

Public Art
Juan Ramón Gimeno created the 5' high-fire ceramic sculptural piece, titled "Old Tree."  The inner structure of the piece is stoneware, with a surface of textured porcelain and stoneware in neutral colors, mimicking the look of a weathered, fossilized Cypress tree.     

Directions

From the North: Take Highway 1 south towards Watsonville. Take the Bay Avenue exit in Capitola. Turn left onto Bay Avenue, under the freeway. Bay Avenue becomes Porter Street. The entrance to the parking lot is on your right, just before the Soquel Dr./Porter St. intersection.

From the South: Take Highway 1 north towards Santa Cruz. Take the Bay Avenue exit in Capitola. Turn right onto Bay Avenue. Bay Avenue becomes Porter Street. The entrance to the parking lot is on your right, just before the Soquel Dr./Porter St. intersection.