Any suggestions for nice hikes in the Santa Cruz, Ca area- 4-7 miles distance

There are several nearby state parks w/ hiking. I like Big Basin Redwood Park. http://www.bigbasin.org/hikingcamping.html

There's also Henry Cowell Redwood State Park which is closer to Santa Cruz. - never been there.

Do you belong to a hiking group - or just go on your own?

We just go on our own.

Butano state park is another good option - there are a couple different hike you can take of varying lengths and difficulty. It is a really pretty park, but not heavily visited since it is a bit out of the way - not difficult to get to, just slightly off the beaten path.

I like Big Basin a lot too, and although it can be crowded, you don't have to walk far to leave most of the folks behind.

Castle Rock state park is a good one too - although you don't have many redwoods in that park. More oaks and chaparral, so if you are looking for redwood forests specifically, that probably isn't the best choice.

Portola Redwoods state park is another park that is a bit off the beaten track that has some nice trails. There is a fun one that goes along the creek for awhile.

This is my favorite spot to go for a run. It's in Aptos and doesn't require a lot of driving from town.

Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=666

The first time I went to Nisene Marks, my family had just moved to Santa Cruz. We were looking at a map of the area and thought it was a strange name, so we went to check it out. Great place. We also went up Ice Cream Grade for a similar reason - I mean, how can you see that on a map and NOT go check it out