Welcome to La Honda
La Honda is the definition of a rural mountain community. No commercial development, no industry, and no formal government. Just a small, close knit community of people enjoying their surroundings and each other. Technically a census designated place, La Honda is positioned in the center of the Santa Cruz Mountains, providing residents with tranquility and storybook sunrises.
Lay of the Land
Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, La Honda is directly between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Santa Clara Valley to the east. While La Honda lacks any substantial neighbors when it comes to developed towns or cities, it is in close proximity to several state parks and nature preserves. These include the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve and Sam McDonald County Park. La Honda is a tiny hamlet, with a total population of approximately 928 hearty souls. Despite the humble surrounding the residents of La Honda enjoy a fairly respectable economic status with a median household income of $91,322 and estimated median home values of $748,300.
Transportation
Public Transportation is unavailable directly from La Honda. Additionally, State Route 84 is the only means of reaching any of the major surrounding towns in San Mateo County or Silicon Valley. Luckily, 84 eventually connects to the 280 which connects the region in a north and south direction. This allows residents to take advantage of public transportation in both the Bay Area and Silicon Valley in a very roundabout way. The isolated nature of the town means that while many of the residents are employed by one of the major regional tech giants, they work from home at a much higher rate than anywhere else in the state.
Local Highlights
The most dominant local feature of the city is the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, located just north of the city itself. The preserve spans a total of 5,700 acres. The vast majority of the preserve is grasslands, redwood forest and Douglas fir groves. The preserve is also the home to several unique animal species. Steelhead trout and California red-legged frogs are federally threatened species that make their home on the preserve. The preserve also provides the perfect habitat for Coho salmon, San Francisco garter snakes, and a small sea bird the marbled murrelet.
Since the location is a preserve and not a state park the primary focus is maintaining a pristine and protected habitat for the plants and animals located within the region. Visitors are encouraged to take part in the extensive hiking and equestrian trails. However, visitors are also expected to follow extremely strict rules while on the preserve. Visitors are prohibited from starting campfires, camping in general, engaging in aquatic activities, or interacting with the plants and animals on the preserve any more than is strictly necessary.
The La Honda Winery is a more accessible location for visitors and residents alike. The winery actually farms a series of vineyards ranging across the Santa Cruz Mountains in towns from San Francisco to San Jose. Despite its origins and extensive vineyards in the La Honda region, the main visitor and activity center for the winery is actually located in Redwood City.
Finally, one of the few commercial locations within the city, Ziranjie Bed and Breakfast is a locally operated venture catering to guests seeking to rest their head while taking advantage of the local scenery. While Ziranjie is actually only a single guesthouse, it is available for public use. It features a great room stocked with a pool table, library, and fully functioning woodstove. The location also has the benefit of being almost completely self-sustaining. It features extensive solar panels, locally sourced wells, a woodstove, and meals supplemented by a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
