Quail Hollow Ranch County Park 800 Quail Hollow Road • Felton • California 95018


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Why You'll Love This Place

A Here Comes The Guide Wedding Venue Review
  • Embrace a slower pace for your nuptials at this stunning county park, once a quaint ranch owned by the founders of Sunset magazine. Now, this beloved local treasure encompasses the former home, stables, and outbuildings as well as  diverse, ecologically notable habitats, embodying California's unique blend of rich history and distinct natural beauty.
  • The charming ranch house is where you'll start your day, prepping in the comfy dressing room and capturing photos with your wedding party in the light-filled living room or on the rambling porch. Shaded by a spreading live oak, celebrations on the lawn enjoy sweeping views of verdant meadows, woodlands, and tree-shrouded hills rising in the distance.
  • Your guests will love exploring the extensive trails that criss-cross the park, passing through riparian, maritime chaparral and mixed evergreen environments (and perhaps catching sight of rare species like the Santa Cruz Wallflower or Western pond turtle). A short walk from the house, you'll find a still pond almost hidden by an ancient red willow—a picture-perfect backdrop every photographer will love.

Video


DEALS: What discounts, special offers, or packages are available here?

Click here for 2026 Open House Dates!


Winter Wedding Discount
Save 20% on your site fee, when you hold your wedding November 1-March 31 (50-person maximum)*. Please contact the park office for details, and their monthly open-house schedule at reservations@scparks.com, 831-454-7938.

*including children and hired helpers.

PRICES: What's this going to cost?

Rental Fee
  • $840–1,540/event
  • Rental fee varies depending on:
    • Day of week
    • Time of year
    • Santa Cruz County residency.
       

  • The venue rental includes 100 white stacking chairs, 15 rectangular tables and 10 picnic tables. Reserved parking for 50 cars is also included.

    Note that while the favorite ceremony spot is the Oak Tree, drop-in ceremonies are allowed at the pond or orchard at no additional charge, provided supplies are returned to the reserved areas after the ceremony.

Additional Info
  • April-October covers 10 hours for use of the house and lawn. This includes 3 hours for setup, a 5-hour maximum event time for ceremony and reception, and 2 hours for cleanup. Additional set-up hours beginning as early as 10am may be contracted at an hourly rate.

COUPLES ARE ASKING: We've got answers

What's included when we book Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, and what will we still need to pay for separately?

Booking Quail Hollow Ranch County Park in Felton gets you the ranch house, including its kitchen, plus the lawn with views of the orchard and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The county also includes 100 chairs, 15 six-foot banquet tables and 10 picnic tables. Everything else is yours to bring: catering, bar, decor and any extra rentals, which have to be delivered and picked up the same day. You also handle setup and cleanup within your reserved hours. Plan for a $200 refundable damage deposit, a $250 alcohol permit if you're serving drinks, and a $300 out-of-county fee if you don't live in Santa Cruz County.

Can we have both our ceremony and reception at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, or will guests need to travel between them?

Yes, your ceremony and reception can both happen at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park. The favorite ceremony spot is under the big live oak on the lawn, and the pond by the old red willow and the orchard work for ceremonies too. Your reception happens on the same lawn, with the ranch house and its porch right there. Outdoor guest counts change by season: up to 100 from April–June, 120 from July–October and 50 from November–March.

If we already have vendors we love, can we bring them to Quail Hollow Ranch County Park or do we have to use yours?

You're free to bring your own caterer to Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, and the ranch house kitchen is part of your rental. You can bring your own drinks too, as long as it's beer, wine or champagne (no hard liquor) and you get the county's $250 alcohol permit. If anyone is selling food or alcohol, that needs county approval first, plus a California ABC permit and $1 million in liability insurance for alcohol sales. Rental companies have to drop off and pick up on your event day, since nothing can be stored overnight.

What should we realistically expect to spend on a wedding at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, and is there a minimum?

Quail Hollow Ranch County Park in Felton rents by the hour: $147 an hour for Santa Cruz County residents and $162 for everyone else, with a $300 out-of-county fee on top. From April–October there's a 10-hour minimum, so a peak-season wedding starts at $1,470 for residents and $1,620 plus the out-of-county fee for nonresidents. From November–March, on weekdays, and for weekend dates booked within three months, the minimum drops to 6 hours, and winter dates also get 20% off the hourly rate. Add a $200 refundable damage deposit and a $250 alcohol permit if you're serving drinks. Full payment is due when you book, and going past your reserved time is billed at 1.5 times the hourly rate. Since you bring your own caterer and bar, those costs are entirely up to you.

How long do we get at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, and when does the music have to stop?

From April–October, Quail Hollow Ranch County Park books in 10-hour blocks: at least 3 hours to set up, up to 5 hours for your ceremony and reception, and at least 2 hours to clean up. Winter, weekday and short-notice weekend bookings use a 6-hour block with up to 4 hours of event time. Outdoor amplified music has to end by 8pm, and it can keep going later inside the ranch house. You'll need a sound permit for a DJ, band or PA system.

What makes Quail Hollow Ranch County Park different from the other venues near it?

Quail Hollow Ranch County Park is a real historic ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, once home to the Lane family, who owned Sunset magazine from 1929–1991. It's also a bring-your-own venue: you bring your own caterer and your own beer, wine and champagne, so the menu and budget are completely yours. Your ceremony and reception happen in one place, with a live oak, a pond and an orchard to choose from for your vows, and the ranch house includes a dressing room for getting ready. Guests who arrive early can wander trails like the 1-mile Discovery Loop, and with hourly pricing starting at $147, it's a budget-friendly way to spend a full day at a ranch. Just know it's a public park, so the grounds stay open to visitors while you celebrate.

Does Quail Hollow Ranch County Park work for a small wedding or an elopement, and what would that look like?

Yes, Quail Hollow Ranch County Park is set up nicely for small weddings, especially from November–March. Winter weddings are capped at 50 guests, counting kids and anyone you've hired, and the county takes 20% off the hourly rate and drops the minimum to 6 hours, with up to 4 hours for the event itself. That gives you the oak tree ceremony spot, the ranch house and the lawn at a lower hourly rate. If you'd like to move indoors, the ranch house holds up to 50 guests seated.

GUEST COUNT: How many people can we have here? What’s the max capacity?

Indoors Outdoors
Ceremony Seated 50 100
Cocktails, etc. Standing 50 120
Reception Seated 50 120
Meetings Total meeting capacity for this venue is 0.

Venue Info & FAQs

OPTIONS: What kinds of events can we have here?

  • Outdoor Ceremony
  • Ceremony
  • Wedding Receptions
  • Outdoor Reception
  • LGBTQ+ Friendly
  • Rehearsal Dinner
  • Special Events / Parties
  • Business Functions / Meetings

POLICIES: What are the food, alcohol, music, and other rules here?

Price

$

Catering

BYO

Alcohol

BYO

Beer, wine and champagne only -- no hard liquor allowed. A $250 permit fee required if you are serving alcohol.


Amplified Music

Indoors
Outdoors
Some restrictions

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair accessible

Availability
  • Saturdays year-round; Sundays June–August, except for the 3rd Sunday per month (subject to change).
  • Event curfew is 10pm on Saturday with 2 additional hours allowed for cleanup, or 10pm on Sunday including cleanup.
  • Note that outdoor amplified music must end by 8pm.

STYLE: What’s the style and overall vibe of this venue?

Buildings & other settings available:

  • Banquet Hall / Events Facility
  • Community Center / Civic Building
  • Historic / Landmark Building
  • Non-Profit
  • Park
  • Patio / Deck / Terrace
  • Private Estate
  • Ranch / Farm

VIEWS: What kind of views does this place have?

Peep the views you’ll enjoy from this venue!

  • Forest / Woods
  • Hills
  • Lagoon / Pond
  • Landscaped Grounds
  • Meadow / Fields
  • Park

Wondering what CBA or BYO means?
Want more info on our editorial process?

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