About Felton CDP, California
Felton CDP is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 4,057 at the 2010 census. Felton is a community located on Highway 9 about eight miles (13 km) south of downtown Santa Cruz and six miles (10 km) north of Scotts Valley in the San Lorenzo Valley. It is home to Big Creek Lumber Company, Roaring Camp Railroads, the San Lorenzo River Redwoods State Park, and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
Felton was originally an Ohlone village. A placer gold deposit was discovered nearby in 1848, and Felton became a stop on the Carson Trail during the California Gold Rush. In 1852, Martin McCarty began harvesting timber from the area now known as Big Creek. Two years later, he built a sawmill near present-day Roaring Camp.
By the late 19th century, Felton was a thriving lumber town with several mills and a railway to transport lumber to Santa Cruz. The town’s name was changed to Feltonville in 1874, and then back to Felton in 1879. The San Lorenzo Valley Logging Company operated a logging railroad along the San Lorenzo River from 1880 to 1922.
In 1940, the CCC built a bridge across the San Lorenzo River, which is now part of Highway 9. In 1963, the Scott Paper Company built a mill near Scotts Valley, which provided jobs for many residents of Felton.
Today, Felton is a quiet community with a variety of businesses and parks. The Big Creek Lumber Company continues to operate its mill in Felton, and the Roaring Camp Railroads offer train rides through the redwoods.