Bucket List Things to Do in Santa Cruz, California

Written By Jennifer Curnutt

What Not to Miss in This Quintessential California Town

Santa Cruz is packed with the kinds of experiences that belong on a California bucket list—from riding a historic wooden roller coaster beside the Pacific and watching surfers at legendary Steamer Lane to walking among towering redwoods and cruising Monterey Bay at sunset.

I've visited Santa Cruz multiple times, and this list brings together the experiences I think are most worth adding to your trip, whether you're visiting as a couple, traveling with kids, looking for outdoor adventures, or coming to experience Santa Cruz's legendary surf culture.e North American continent, it was also where the wetsuit was invented changing the course of surfing forever as surfers could stay out longer and ride longer waves.

👉 Planning a trip to Santa Cruz? Get my Ultimate Guide to Santa Cruz for where to stay, how many days you willl need, tips for visiting and frequently asked questions.

However, surfing is not all this coastal town offers. Santa Cruz is home to miles of sandy beaches with sweeping coastal views, towering redwood forests, numerous wineries, a quirky downtown area, and even a wooden roller coaster located on an iconic beach boardwalk that’s been around since 1924.

⭐ Santa Cruz Bucket List at a Glance

🎡 Most Iconic: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
🌊 Best Coastal Experience: Walk West Cliff Drive
🌲 Best Nature Experience: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
🏄 Best for Surf Culture: Steamer Lane & Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
❤️ Best for Couples: Sunset cruise on Monterey Bay
👨‍👩‍👧 Best for Families: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
🌈 Best Nearby Side Trip: Capitola Village
🍷 Best Unexpected Experience: Wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains
🌅 Best Sunset: West Cliff Drive

Table of Contents

❤️ 10 Things You Shouldn't Miss in Santa Cruz

  • 🎡 Ride the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

  • 🚶 Walk West Cliff Drive

  • 🏄 Watch the surfers at Steamer Lane

  • 🌲 Walk among the redwoods at Henry Cowell

  • 🦋 Explore Natural Bridges State Beach

  • 🌈 Spend an afternoon in Capitola Village

  • ⚓ Walk the Santa Cruz Wharf & look for sea lions

  • ⛵ Take a sunset cruise on Monterey Bay

  • 🏄 Visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

  • 🍷 Go wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Best Places to Eat in Santa Cruz

Best Breakfast in Santa Cruz

Mad Yolks

My favorite breakfast and brunch spot in Santa Cruz, Mad Yolks serves great coffee and fresh breakfast sandwiches, with vegan and gluten-free options available. It's located right in the heart of downtown, making it an easy place to grab breakfast before spending some time exploring the shops and other attractions nearby.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Mad Yolks is casual, delicious, and conveniently located downtown—exactly the kind of place I like for breakfast before heading out to explore Santa Cruz.

More Breakfast Spots

If you're looking for other options, Harbor Cafe and Linda's Seabreeze Cafe are longtime local favorites, or head to The View at Chaminade Resort & Spa for a more leisurely breakfast surrounded by redwoods and views of Monterey Bay.

Best Lunch Spots in Santa Cruz

Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge

Located inside the Dream Inn near the Santa Cruz Wharf, Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge is my pick for lunch with an ocean view. The restaurant celebrates Santa Cruz’s legendary surf culture with historic photos and memorabilia while overlooking Monterey Bay.

Grab a table by the windows, enjoy lunch or a cocktail, and take in the views before continuing along the Wharf or West Cliff Drive.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: It combines three things that make Santa Cruz special—surfing history, laid-back coastal atmosphere, and beautiful Pacific views—making it more than just a place to stop for lunch.

Harbor Cafe

For something more casual, Harbor Cafe is a longtime Santa Cruz favorite known for hearty breakfast and lunch dishes and a relaxed, colorful atmosphere near the harbor. It’s a great choice if you want something distinctly local and laid-back rather than a waterfront resort restaurant.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Harbor Cafe has the quirky, casual personality that feels quintessentially Santa Cruz and gives you a completely different experience from Jack O’Neill.

Best Dinner Spots in Santa Cruz

The View Restaurant & Bar

Located at Chaminade Resort & Spa, The View is one of my favorite places for dinner in Santa Cruz, especially if you're looking for a beautiful setting. The restaurant offers seasonal cuisine surrounded by redwoods with views stretching toward Monterey Bay. There’s also a great bar and lounge area, along with outdoor seating and fire pits that make it an especially nice place to linger over dinner or drinks.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: The setting is what makes The View special. I love being able to enjoy dinner and a cocktail surrounded by the redwoods while still looking out toward the coast—it perfectly captures Santa Cruz's unique combination of mountains and ocean.

Crow’s Nest

If you'd rather be right on the water, Crow’s Nest is a great choice overlooking Santa Cruz Harbor and Twin Lakes State Beach. Come for seafood, cocktails, and coastal views in a casual Santa Cruz atmosphere.

Lillian’s Italian Kitchen

For something away from the waterfront, Lillian’s is a popular neighborhood spot serving homemade Italian dishes in a cozy, casual setting. It's a great choice when you're craving pasta after a full day of exploring.

Riva Fish House

Located on the Santa Cruz Wharf, Riva is another good option for seafood with views of Monterey Bay. Its location makes it especially convenient if you're spending the afternoon around the Boardwalk, Wharf, or West Cliff.

Best Things to Do for Couples

⛵ Take a Sunset Cruise With Chardonnay Sailing Charters

For a romantic way to experience Santa Cruz from the water, Chardonnay Sailing Charters offers sailing cruises on Monterey Bay, including sunset sails and private charters. It's a chance to slow down, get out on the water, and see the Santa Cruz coastline from an entirely different perspective.

A sunset cruise is especially perfect for couples. Relax onboard as you sail across Monterey Bay, take in the coastal views, and watch the sun begin to set over the Pacific.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: There’s something special about seeing Santa Cruz from the water, and a sunset sail combines beautiful scenery with an experience that feels a little more memorable than simply watching the sunset from shore.

✨ Pro Tip: Sunset cruises are especially popular during warmer months, so I recommend booking ahead if this is one of your must-do experiences.

⚓ Stroll the Santa Cruz Wharf

Take a leisurely stroll along the Santa Cruz Wharf, which stretches out into Monterey Bay between Main Beach and Cowell Beach. Built in 1914, the historic wharf is one of Santa Cruz's most recognizable waterfront landmarks and a great place to enjoy beautiful views of the coastline, Boardwalk, and Pacific Ocean.

Stop to watch the California sea lions that frequently gather around the wharf, browse the shops, or grab lunch, dinner, or a cocktail at one of the waterfront restaurants. It's especially nice for couples later in the afternoon when you can walk the wharf before heading somewhere nearby for sunset or dinner.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: The Wharf gives you a little bit of everything—ocean views, wildlife, history, restaurants, and classic Santa Cruz atmosphere—all within an easy walk of the Boardwalk and West Cliff Drive.

✨ Pro Tip: Pair the Wharf with a walk along West Cliff Drive and time it around sunset. It's an easy way to turn several of Santa Cruz's best coastal experiences into one afternoon or evening.

🌅 Walk West Cliff Drive at Sunset

One of the most romantic—and scenic—things to do in Santa Cruz is take a sunset walk along West Cliff Drive. The coastal path follows the edge of Monterey Bay, with sweeping views of the Pacific, rocky cliffs, beaches, and surfers catching the last waves of the day.

Take your time strolling along the waterfront as the sun begins to set, stopping at the overlooks to watch the sky turn shades of gold, pink, and crimson over the ocean. Along the way, you'll pass Steamer Lane and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, making it easy to combine several Santa Cruz highlights into one beautiful evening.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: West Cliff Drive captures so much of what I love about Santa Cruz—the ocean, surf culture, dramatic coastline, and laid-back atmosphere—and sunset is one of the best times to experience it.

✨ Pro Tip: Start near Natural Bridges State Beach and walk toward Steamer Lane if you want a longer coastal walk, or stick to the area around Steamer Lane and the Surfing Museum for a shorter sunset stroll.

🌈 Visit Capitola Village

Just a short drive from Santa Cruz, Capitola Village is a charming seaside community known for its colorful beachfront cottages, sandy beach, waterfront restaurants, and relaxed coastal atmosphere. It’s one of my favorite places to spend a leisurely afternoon away from the busier attractions in Santa Cruz.

Stroll along Esplanade Park, where colorful tiles created by members of the community decorate the seawall, then wander through the village's boutiques, galleries, cafés, and restaurants. The brightly painted Capitola Venetian Court overlooking the beach is one of the area's most recognizable landmarks and makes a beautiful backdrop for photos.

Grab a drink or something to eat overlooking the water, watch the surfers, or simply find a spot along the beach and enjoy the scenery. Capitola is particularly nice for couples because there isn't necessarily an agenda—it's a place to slow down and enjoy being by the coast.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: The colorful waterfront and small-town atmosphere give Capitola a completely different feel from Santa Cruz, even though it's only a few minutes away. It's especially fun to pair with lunch, cocktails, or an afternoon at the beach.

✨ Pro Tip: Parking in the heart of Capitola Village can be challenging on busy weekends. Consider using one of the public parking areas outside the village and walking down to the waterfront.

🍷 Go Wine Tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

For a relaxing afternoon away from the beach, head into the Santa Cruz Mountains for wine tasting. The region may not have the name recognition of Napa Valley or Sonoma, but that's part of its appeal—you can enjoy excellent California wines in a much more relaxed setting surrounded by redwood-covered mountains and beautiful scenery.

Visit one of the area's local wineries, such as Beauregard Vineyards, or stay closer to town and explore the tasting rooms around Santa Cruz. Surf City Vintners is another convenient option if you want to experience the local wine scene without spending the afternoon driving through the mountains.

Wine tasting is especially fun for couples and makes a great contrast to Santa Cruz's beaches and Boardwalk. Spend the morning exploring the coast or hiking among the redwoods, then slow things down with an afternoon tasting local wines.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Most people think of beaches, surfing, and redwoods when they picture Santa Cruz, but the surrounding wine country is another side of the area that's easy to overlook. I love that you can go from the Pacific Ocean to wine tasting in the mountains in the same day.

✨ Pro Tip: Many Santa Cruz Mountain wineries are smaller and have more limited tasting hours than wineries in Napa or Sonoma, so check hours and reservation requirements before heading out.

Day Trip Pebble Beach 17-Mile Scenic Byway

Take a day trip to Pebble Beach and explore the infamous 17-Mile Drive, often referred to as the most beautiful scenic drives in the entire state.

This scenic drive winds through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula hugging the rugged coastline with stunning views of the crystal clear, turquoise waters of the Pacific and bluffs lined with Monterey Cypress.

The road takes you past the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course, the iconic Lone Cypress from which the golf course’s logo was derived, Bird Rock, Shepherd’s Knoll and over 5,000 acres of the Del Monte Forest.

My suggestion is to stop for lunch at the beginning of your drive at the Inn at Spanish Bay. They have a great outdoor terrace overlooking the water and golf course with fire pits. Then take your time exploring the 17-Mile Drive, stopping at all of the major viewpoints along the way. Eventually, make your way to the Pebble Beach Resorts where you can enjoy the views over a drink before having dinner at Stillwater Bar & Grill or one of its other incredible restaurants.

🪷 Enjoy a Spa Day at Chaminade

For a little relaxation during your Santa Cruz getaway, spend a few hours at The Spa at Chaminade Resort & Spa. Surrounded by redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the resort offers a peaceful escape from the busier beaches and attractions closer to downtown.

Book a massage or other spa treatment, then spend some time relaxing together and enjoying the spa amenities. It's an especially nice option for couples if you're looking to balance hiking, sightseeing, and outdoor adventures with a little downtime.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: I love the contrast of spending the morning exploring Santa Cruz and then retreating into the redwoods for an afternoon at the spa. It adds a completely different—and much more relaxing—experience to a Santa Cruz getaway.

✨ Pro Tip: If you're not staying at Chaminade, check current spa access and reservation policies when booking your treatment. And if you're considering staying at the resort, read my complete Chaminade Resort & Spa Guide for everything you need to know.

Best Things to Do With Kids

🎡 Spend the Day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

No Santa Cruz bucket list would be complete without a visit to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Located directly on the beach, this historic seaside amusement park is home to the legendary Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster dating back to 1924, along with rides, carnival games, an arcade, shops, restaurants, laser tag, and bowling.

Admission to the Boardwalk is free, so you can walk around and soak up the classic California beach atmosphere without purchasing a ticket. Rides and attractions are priced separately, or you can purchase an unlimited ride wristband or MyBoardwalk Card if you plan to spend more time here.

Even if you're not a big amusement park person, the Boardwalk is worth experiencing simply for the nostalgia, oceanfront setting, and lively atmosphere.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Riding a historic wooden roller coaster with views of the Pacific is such a quintessential Santa Cruz experience. The Boardwalk combines the city's beach culture with a little old-fashioned California nostalgia, and there's really nowhere else quite like it.

✨ Pro Tip: You don't have to spend an entire day here. If you're short on time, combine the Boardwalk with the Santa Cruz Wharf and West Cliff Drive for an afternoon exploring several of the city's most iconic attractions.

🏖️ Spend a Day at the Beach

You can't visit Santa Cruz with kids without spending at least a little time at the beach. With sandy beaches stretching along Monterey Bay, there are plenty of places to build sandcastles, splash along the shoreline, explore tide pools, watch surfers, or simply relax by the Pacific.

Some of my favorite beaches and coastal spots for families include:

  • Cowell Beach – Conveniently located near the Wharf and Boardwalk and a great choice for combining beach time with sightseeing.

  • Capitola Beach – A sandy beach in the heart of colorful Capitola Village, with shops and restaurants just steps away.

  • Natural Bridges State Beach – Best for combining the beach with tide pooling, wildlife, and the park's famous natural rock arch.

  • Seacliff State Beach – A spacious beach south of Santa Cruz that's a good option for a more traditional beach day.

  • Pleasure Point – Better for watching surfers and exploring the coastline than a traditional family swimming beach.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Santa Cruz gives families much more than one type of beach experience. You can combine a few hours in the sand with tide pooling, wildlife watching, surfing culture, or exploring nearby attractions.

✨ Pro Tip: The Pacific Ocean around Santa Cruz can be cold and conditions can change quickly, so always check current conditions and posted warnings before swimming with kids.

🌲 Spend an Afternoon at Chaminade

For a break from the beach and Boardwalk, spend an afternoon with the kids at Chaminade Resort & Spa, tucked into the redwoods above Santa Cruz. It's a great place to slow down and enjoy some family time while still having plenty to keep everyone entertained.

Spend a few hours relaxing poolside, rent a cabana, or let the kids swim while the adults enjoy poolside food and drinks. Families can also play tennis or pickleball, explore the resort's hiking trails through the redwoods, or simply relax together in the lounge near the lobby with board games and cards by the fire.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Chaminade gives families a chance to trade the crowds and activity of downtown Santa Cruz for an afternoon surrounded by redwoods. I especially like that there's enough to do to keep kids entertained while parents can actually relax a little too.

🎃 Visiting in October? Look for Chaminade's seasonal Halloween activities, including its Haunted Forest. If it's offered during your visit, it's a fun addition to a fall family getaway.

✨ Pro Tip: Some resort amenities and activities may be limited to overnight guests or require reservations, so check current access before planning your afternoon.

Best Things to Do For The Adventurous

With the Pacific Ocean on one side and redwood-covered mountains on the other, Santa Cruz is an outdoor lover's playground. You can start the morning hiking beneath towering redwoods, spend the afternoon biking along coastal cliffs, and finish the day surfing, sailing, or watching for whales on Monterey Bay.

Whether you prefer exploring on land or getting out on the water, Santa Cruz has plenty of ways to add a little adventure to your trip. From hiking and mountain biking to surfing, whale watching, and exploring the rugged coastline, these are some of my favorite outdoor experiences to add to a Santa Cruz bucket list.

🚴 Walk or Bike West Cliff Drive

One of the best ways to combine sightseeing with a little outdoor adventure is to walk or bike along West Cliff Drive. The scenic coastal path follows Monterey Bay for several miles, with beautiful views of the Pacific, rocky cliffs, beaches, and some of Santa Cruz's most famous surf breaks.

For a longer adventure, I recommend starting near Natural Bridges State Beach and following West Cliff Drive toward Steamer Lane, the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, the Wharf, and eventually the Boardwalk. It's a good distance, but you'll pass several of Santa Cruz's most iconic sights along the way, making it a fun way to explore the city without constantly getting back in the car

If you'd rather cover more ground, rent a bike and explore the route on two wheels, stopping at overlooks and beaches along the way.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: West Cliff Drive combines exercise, incredible coastal scenery, wildlife, and Santa Cruz's legendary surf culture into one experience—and you can see several of the city's biggest highlights along the way.

✨ Pro Tip: You don't have to do the entire route. The stretch between Natural Bridges and Steamer Lane is a great option if you're short on time and still want some of the best coastal views.

🚴 Explore the Coastal Trails at Wilder Ranch State Park

Just north of Santa Cruz, Wilder Ranch State Park combines rugged coastal bluffs, sweeping Pacific views, historic ranch buildings, and miles of trails through one of the most scenic stretches of the Santa Cruz coastline. It’s a great place to hike or bike while getting away from the busier beaches and Boardwalk area.

One of the best ways to experience the park is along its coastal trails, where you’ll pass dramatic cliffs, secluded coves, and overlooks with incredible ocean views. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way, especially seabirds and marine life offshore.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Wilder Ranch gives you a completely different side of Santa Cruz—wild coastline, open space, and outdoor adventure just minutes from town.

✨ Pro Tip: Bring layers. Even on sunny days, the coastal wind can make the trails feel considerably cooler than downtown Santa Cruz.

🌲 Hike Among the Redwoods at Henry Cowell

Trade the beach for the forest and spend a few hours hiking beneath the towering coast redwoods at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, just a short drive from downtown Santa Cruz. The park is home to an impressive grove of old-growth redwoods, with some trees soaring nearly 300 feet overhead.

For an easy introduction, walk the Redwood Grove Loop Trail, which takes you through the heart of the old-growth forest. If you're looking for more of an adventure, Henry Cowell has additional trails that take you deeper into the surrounding forest and Santa Cruz Mountains.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Being able to go from surfing and beaches to hiking beneath enormous old-growth redwoods in the same day is one of the things that makes Santa Cruz so special. If you only have time for one redwood experience near Santa Cruz, Henry Cowell is my pick.

✨ Pro Tip: Even if you're not looking for a strenuous hike, don't skip this one. The Redwood Grove Loop gives you the experience of walking among the giant redwoods without requiring a long or difficult hike.

🐋 Go Whale Watching on Monterey Bay

Head out onto Monterey Bay for a whale-watching cruise and keep your eyes open for some of the incredible marine life that inhabits and migrates through these waters. Depending on the season, you may have the opportunity to see humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, dolphins, sea lions, and other marine wildlife.

The rich waters of Monterey Bay make this one of California's premier areas for marine wildlife, and seeing a whale from the water is an entirely different experience from spotting one from shore.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: There's always an element of surprise when you head out on Monterey Bay—you never know exactly what you're going to see. Spotting a whale, dolphins, or other wildlife against the backdrop of the California coast can easily become one of the most memorable experiences of your trip.

✨ Pro Tip: Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed and vary throughout the year. Check with local whale-watching operators before your trip to find out what species are being spotted during your visit.

🌊 Explore the Tide Pools at Natural Bridges

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Time your visit to Natural Bridges State Beach around low tide and explore the tide pools tucked along its rocky shoreline. Look closely and you may find sea stars, anemones, crabs, mussels, and other marine life living in the pools left behind as the Pacific retreats.

After exploring the tide pools, spend some time walking along the beach and admiring the park's distinctive natural rock arch just offshore. Depending on the season, you can also visit the Monarch Grove or watch for marine wildlife from the coast.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Tide pooling turns a regular trip to the beach into an adventure. Natural Bridges lets you experience several sides of Santa Cruz in one stop—beach, wildlife, geology, and beautiful coastal scenery.

✨ Pro Tip: Check the tide chart before you go and plan to arrive around low tide for the best tide-pool viewing. The tide pools are protected, so look without collecting or disturbing the marine life.

🏄 Best Things to Do in Santa Cruz for Surfers

As the birthplace of surfing on the North American continent, Santa Cruz is often affectionately referred to as “Surf City.” It is said that around 1885, three Hawaiian princes arrived in California on the shores of Santa Cruz and used redwood boards to ride the waves. The stayed for a few years creating what was considered the first surf community among the locals. So it began - Santa Cruz’s rich surfing history and strong surf culture.

In the 1950s, Santa Cruz resident Jack O’Neill helped pioneer the modern wetsuit allowing surfers to stay in the water much longer, catching longer waves, and further changing the course of surfing forever. By the 1960s, surfing started gaining nationwide attention and of course, Santa Cruz was at its epi-center. Today, that strong surf culture remains.

Here are some things to do for surfers and those fascinated by Santa Cruz’s surf culture.

🚶 Walk West Cliff Drive

One of the easiest ways to immerse yourself in Santa Cruz's surf culture is to walk West Cliff Drive. The scenic coastal route passes some of the city's most famous surf spots, along with surfer memorials, historic landmarks, and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.

Be sure to stop at Steamer Lane, where you can watch experienced surfers take on the waves from the cliffs above. It's one of my favorite places to simply stop and watch Santa Cruz's surf culture in action.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: You don't have to be a surfer to appreciate West Cliff. It's one of the best places to experience the connection between Santa Cruz, the Pacific Ocean, and the surfing community that has helped shape the city's identity.

🏄 Visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Housed inside the historic Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse overlooking Steamer Lane, the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a tiny museum packed with local surfing history. Exhibits trace more than a century of surfing in Santa Cruz through photographs, surfboards, memorabilia, and stories about the people who helped shape the sport.

It's a quick stop, so it's easy to combine with Steamer Lane and a walk along West Cliff Drive.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: The location alone is fantastic—you can learn about Santa Cruz's surfing history inside a lighthouse and then step outside and watch today's surfers riding the waves at Steamer Lane.

🍹 Stop at Jack O'Neill Restaurant & Lounge

Continue your surf-history tour with lunch or a cocktail at Jack O'Neill Restaurant & Lounge inside the Dream Inn. Named for legendary surfer and wetsuit pioneer Jack O'Neill, the restaurant incorporates historic photographs and touches of Santa Cruz surf culture along with beautiful views of Monterey Bay.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: It's a fun way to continue the surf theme while taking a break for food or drinks—and the ocean views don't hurt.

🌊 Go Surfing in Santa Cruz

If you actually surf, Santa Cruz has some legendary breaks—but choosing the right one for your ability level is important. Some of the area's best-known surf spots are powerful, crowded, and appropriate only for experienced surfers.

  • 🏄 Steamer Lane – Santa Cruz's most iconic surf spot and best suited to experienced surfers. Even if you're not getting in the water, it's one of the best places in town to watch skilled surfers from the cliffs above.

  • 🌊 Pleasure Point – Another legendary Santa Cruz surf area with several breaks and a strong local surf culture. It's also a great place to watch surfers from East Cliff Drive.

  • 🏄‍♀️ Cowell Beach – Known for its generally gentler, longer waves, Cowell is one of the better-known places in Santa Cruz for beginners and surf lessons when conditions cooperate.

  • 🌊 The Hook – A popular Eastside break near 41st Avenue that's better suited to surfers with experience.

  • 🏖️ Manresa State Beach – South of Santa Cruz, Manresa offers a more rugged, exposed beach experience and can have challenging surf conditions.

✨ Pro Tip: If you're new to surfing, don't choose a break based solely on a list online. Conditions in Santa Cruz can change quickly, and some breaks have rocks, strong currents, and experienced local crowds. Book a lesson or ask a reputable local surf shop which beach is appropriate for current conditions and your experience level.

Best State Parks Near Santa Cruz

One of my favorite things about Santa Cruz is how easy it is to trade the beach for towering redwoods, rugged coastal bluffs, and miles of hiking trails. Santa Cruz County is home to numerous state parks, but if you don't have time to visit them all, these are the ones I would put at the top of your list.

🏖️ Natural Bridges State Beach — Best for Coastal Scenery & Wildlife

Located along the Pacific at the end of West Cliff Drive, Natural Bridges State Beach is best known for the dramatic natural rock arch rising from the ocean just offshore. It's one of the most scenic coastal stops in Santa Cruz and especially beautiful around sunset.

Time your visit around low tide to explore the park's tide pools, where you can look for sea stars, anemones, crabs, and other marine life. From late fall into winter, visit the Monarch Grove to look for migrating monarch butterflies gathering among the trees. You may also spot sea otters, seals, and migrating whales offshore.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Natural Bridges packs an incredible amount into one relatively small park—beach, tide pools, wildlife, monarch butterflies, and one of Santa Cruz's most recognizable natural landmarks.

🌲 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park — Best for Giant Redwoods

If you want to experience the redwoods while visiting Santa Cruz, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is my top pick. Just a short drive from the coast, the park is best known for its spectacular 40-acre grove of old-growth coast redwoods, including trees that soar nearly 300 feet overhead.

The Redwood Grove Loop Trail is an easy way to walk among some of the park's most impressive trees without committing to a long hike. If you want more adventure, you'll find additional trails extending into the surrounding forest.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Few experiences capture what makes Santa Cruz so special better than standing beneath enormous old-growth redwoods just a short drive from the Pacific.

🌲 Big Basin Redwoods State Park — Best for History & Forest Recovery

Established in 1902, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is California's oldest state park and one of the most historically significant redwood parks in the state.

Much of Big Basin was devastated by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020, and the park continues to recover. Visiting today offers a fascinating opportunity to see the resilience of the redwood forest as new growth emerges among fire-scarred ancient trees.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Big Basin offers something very different from Henry Cowell. Rather than simply walking through an old-growth forest, you're witnessing the remarkable recovery and regeneration of a redwood ecosystem after a devastating wildfire.

✨ Pro Tip: Big Basin is still undergoing restoration, and trail access and visitor services can change. Check California State Parks for current conditions, closures, and parking information before visiting.

🥾 Wilder Ranch State Park — Best for Coastal Hiking

Just north of Santa Cruz, Wilder Ranch State Park is my pick for travelers who want to hike or bike along some of the area's most dramatic coastline. Trails wind past coastal bluffs, secluded coves, open grasslands, and beautiful Pacific overlooks.

The park also preserves part of the area's ranching history, with historic buildings and other remnants of the former dairy ranch near the park entrance.

⭐ Why It Makes My Bucket List: Wilder Ranch gives you the wilder side of the Santa Cruz coast. It's a great place to escape the crowds and experience rugged California scenery on foot or by bike.

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