Entry No. 9 — the Santa Cruz file — filed under: environmental art

Land of Medicine Buddha

A 108-acre Tibetan Buddhist retreat carved into redwood hillside at the end of a narrow winding road, where forest trails wind past ornate prayer wheels, a stupa project, statuary, and the Wish-Fulfilling Temple and Ksitigarbha Pure Land shrine — devotional environmental art built up in stages by a working retreat community rather than installed for tourists.

The move: Drive the winding access road up into the redwoods, walk the statue- and prayer-wheel-lined trails together in silence, then sit at the stupa as the fog burns off the canyon — a genuinely strange, meditative detour minutes from Soquel Village.

• 📍 Soquel (hills above town)
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 5800 Prescott Road, Soquel, CA 95073

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · santacruz.org · lookout.co

last checked: 2026-07-20