SAnta cruz and surroundings
Your Destination In the Heart of Santa Cruz, California
THE SURROUNDINGS
Explore our beachside town
TWIN LAKES STATE BEACH
This beach has a mile of sandy shoreline, popular for swimming and picnicking. The park’s adjacent Schwan's lake is a good location for bird watching.
0.3 MILES
- Boating
- Swimming
- Birdwatching
- Picnicking
- Fishing
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Geocaching
- Restrooms
- Showers
SANTA CRUZ YACHT HARBOR
Boating and marine activities for the local community and visitors
0.6 MILES
- Restaurants
- Launch Ramp
- Kayaks
- Stand-up Paddle Boards
- Boogie Boards
- Scenic Walking Trails
- RV Parking
- Fishing
- Sightseeing Tours
- Whale Watching
- Charter Boats
- Sailing Instruction
- O'Neil Sea Odyssey
- Sailboat Races
- Seasonal Water Taxi
- Volleyball
- Restrooms
SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK, WHARF & MAIN BEACH
Voted best seaside park for families
2.6 MILES
- Rollercoasters
- Family Rides
- Kids Rides
- Miniature Golf
- Arcade
- Laser Tag
- Bowling
- Games
- Food
- Shopping
- Cocoanut Grove Event Space
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
One of 10 campuses in the University of California system which lies on 2,001 acres of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay
6.5 MILES
- Redwood Groves
- Hiking Trails
- Biking Trails
- Arboretum
- Art Galleries
- Coastal Science Campus
- Farm & Garden
- University Libraries
- Campus Tours
- Self-Guided Tour
SEYMOUR MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER
A community-supported marine science education center at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
2.6 MILES
- Family friendly
- Gift shop
- 87-foot long Blue Whale skeleton
- Guided Tours
- Marine science laboratory
- Educational experiences
- Special events
- Tide pools exhibit
- Spectacular views
- Sea cliff trail
- Open year round
HENRY COWELL REDWOODS STATE PARK
One of 10 campuses in the University of California system which lies on 2,001 acres of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay
6.5 MILES
- Redwood Groves
- Bike Trails
- Hiking Trails
- Picnic Areas
- Fishing
- Guided Tours
- Nature & Wildlife Viewing
- Geocaching
- Swimming Hole
- Environmental Learning
- Visitor Center
- Self-Guided Tour
This beach park offers a unique marine life experience with tide pools revealing urchins, sea stars, and crabs, and opportunities to spot whales and seals, alongside a natural bridge and a eucalyptus grove that serves as a haven for up to 150,000 migrating monarch butterflies from October to February.
2.6 MILES
- Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve
- Tide Pools
- Picnic Area
- Guided Tours
- Beach Area
- Vista Point
- Nature & Wildlife Viewing
- Windsurfing/Surfing
- Family Programs
- Restrooms
- Drinking Water Available
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Parking
- Bike Trails
- Hiking Trails
- Historical/Cultural Site
- Exhibits and Programs
OTHER LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
There are dozens of amazing things to do near Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay
Explore one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world. Stunning views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities all within a day’s drive.
Become part of the creative community in Santa Cruz County. Explore inspiring exhibitions. Meet new friends at weekly community events. Drop in to read a book or sip coffee among the art and greenery.
A scenic, 3 mile walking and biking path along the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz with epic views of the Monterey Bay. Beginning at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, It is here you will find locals mixing effortlessly with visitors strolling, biking, running, walking their dogs, and pushing babies in strollers as surfers head toward Steamer Lane for the surf break.
A gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.
Overlooking internationally renowned surfing hotspot Steamer Lane, this little gem of a museum has photographs, surfboards, and other interesting artifacts tracing over 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz. The museum shop specializes in great surfing books and surfing related items.
Discover the Santa Cruz coastline on Wilder Ranch State Park’s 7,000 acres. With more than 35 miles of trails, you can adventure into the Santa Cruz Mountains or walk along the coastal bluffs.
In the 1880s, narrow-gauge steam locomotives were used to haul giant redwood logs out of the mountains. Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.