 The 2 @,@ 000 @-@ acre ( 810 ha ) UCSC campus is located 75 miles ( 121 km ) south of San Francisco , in the Ben Lomond Mountain ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains . Elevation varies from 285 feet ( 87 m ) at the campus entrance to 1 @,@ 195 feet ( 364 m ) at the northern boundary , a difference of about 900 feet ( 270 m ) . The southern portion of the campus primarily consists of a large , open meadow , locally known as the Great Meadow . To the north of the meadow lie most of the campus ' buildings , many of them among redwood groves . The campus is bounded on the south by the city 's upper @-@ west @-@ side neighborhoods , on the east by Harvey West Park and the Pogonip open space preserve , on the north by Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park near the town of Felton , and on the west by Gray Whale Ranch , a portion of Wilder Ranch State Park . The campus is built on a portion of the Cowell Family ranch , which was purchased by the University of California in 1961 . The northern half of the campus property has remained in its undeveloped , forested state apart from fire roads and hiking and bicycle trails . The heavily forested area has allowed UC Santa Cruz to operate a recreational vehicle park as a form of student housing . 
