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Santa Cruz sits on the northern shore of Monterey Bay, where redwood-covered mountains meet the Pacific about 75 miles south of San Francisco. It grew around Mission Santa Cruz, founded in 1791, and the nearby pueblo of Branciforte, and it was incorporated in 1866. By the early 1900s it had become a popular seaside resort with a boardwalk and bathhouses.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, opened in 1907, is California's oldest surviving amusement park, home to the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster and the historic Looff Carousel. The city is also a legendary surf town, where Hawaiian princes surfed the San Lorenzo River mouth in 1885, and Steamer Lane is one of the world's best known waves, overlooked by the Surfing Museum in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse.
Downtown Pacific Avenue is lively with shops, cafes and street musicians, and the University of California, Santa Cruz sits among redwoods above town. West Cliff Drive, Natural Bridges State Beach and nearby redwood parks offer endless coastal beauty.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a seaside amusement park dating to 1907, home to the wooden Giant Dipper roller coaster and the 1911 Looff Carousel, both historic landmarks. It also has arcades, games and snack stands on the beach. Entry is free; you pay per ride or buy an unlimited ride wristband.
The Santa Cruz Wharf is a long wooden pier built in 1914, with seafood restaurants, gift shops, fishing spots and holes where you can watch sea lions resting on the beams below. You can drive onto it and park for a fee. Walking out from the Boardwalk area is free and gives good views of the town.
UC Santa Cruz is a hillside university campus among redwoods and meadows above town, with views over Monterey Bay. Visitors can explore the UCSC Arboretum, the farm and garden, and wooded trails. Use the campus shuttle or pay for parking, and allow time to wander, as the grounds are large.
Steamer Lane is a famous surf spot off Lighthouse Point, where you can watch skilled surfers from the cliffs. The small Santa Cruz Surfing Museum inside the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse displays old boards and local surf history. The museum is free but has short hours, so check before going.
Natural Bridges State Beach is known for its sea arch, tide pools and a eucalyptus grove where monarch butterflies cluster from about October to February. A boardwalk trail leads to the monarch grove. Visit at low tide for the tide pools, and check park hours, as weekend docent tours are offered in season.
West Cliff Drive runs along the cliffs from the wharf to Natural Bridges, with a paved path for walking, biking and skating. Along the way are surf spots, benches, sea lion viewpoints and the lighthouse. The full path is about 3 miles one way, and it is best enjoyed on foot or by bike rather than by car.
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is the public face of UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Lab, on the cliffs at the west edge of town. It has aquariums, touch tanks and the skeleton of a blue whale outside. Guided tours explain current marine research. Allow about one to two hours, and check its open days.
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, known as the MAH, is a downtown museum with changing art exhibits, local history displays and community events. It also manages the Evergreen Cemetery and other history sites. First Friday evenings bring free events and a lively crowd to the museum.
Mission Santa Cruz was founded in 1791, and today a half-size replica church stands near the site. The nearby Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park preserves an original adobe building that housed Native families, with exhibits on mission life. The adobe has limited open days, so check before visiting.
Wilder Ranch State Park, just north of town, preserves a historic dairy ranch with old barns, a Victorian house and farm animals, plus miles of coastal bluff and inland trails. It is very popular with mountain bikers and hikers. Bring water and sunscreen, since the bluff trails have little shade.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton, a short drive from Santa Cruz, protects old-growth redwoods along the San Lorenzo River. The flat Redwood Grove Loop is under a mile and suits all ages. Roaring Camp Railroads runs steam trains next door, so you can combine both in one trip.
Pacific Avenue is the main street of downtown Santa Cruz, a walkable strip of independent bookstores, cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and street performers. Bookshop Santa Cruz is a local favorite. Parking garages nearby are cheaper than meters, and the area is livelier on weekend afternoons.
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California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
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