Santa Cruz Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Santa Cruz Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

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Parks and Outdoors Destinations Near Santa Cruz

Travel Guides Near Santa Cruz

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Sunset off the coast of Santa Cruz, California
Sunset on Santa Cruz coast, California (Karl Weatherly/Digital Vision/Getty)
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Santa Cruz Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips

By Ann Marie Brown
  • Just a few miles south of Santa Cruz, Elkhorn Slough is the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay. More than 340 bird species reside in or migrate through here. In the spring months, birders head for the north marsh to see Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets nesting in a grove of Monterey pines.
  • The arboretum at U.C. Santa Cruz is known not just for its plant collections but also for its excellent birding. A walk through the gardens may yield sightings of Anna's, Allen's, and Rufous Hummingbirds; California Quail; seasonal warblers, flycatchers, and sparrows; American and Lesser Goldfinches; and various raptors.
  • Birding at Wilder Ranch State Park is best in the morning because of strong coastal winds in the afternoon. Walk the nature trail along the blufftops to an overlook above Wilder Beach, a prime nesting area for Snowy Plovers. Peregrine Falcons hunt the grasslands and agricultural fields. Gazing out to sea, birders can watch for shearwaters, Marbled Murrelets, jaegers, sea ducks, and loons.
  • Birders have identified more than 270 species at Rancho del Oso where the land meets the sea at Waddell Beach. A wide dirt road travels up the valley past a few small farms where a variety of songbirds and raptors can be seen; but the real prize is the resident Pygmy Owl that is sometimes seen or heard in winter and early spring.

Santa Cruz Travel Guide

For a small bayside city, Santa Cruz has a lot to offer. The main show, of course, is the Beach Boardwalk, which attracts millions of visitors each year. But past the arcades and cotton candy is a surprisingly diverse and energetic city with a little something for everyone: Shopping, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, kayaking, surfing, wine tasting, golfing, whale-watching—the list of things to do here is almost endless, making Santa Cruz one of the premier family destinations on the California coast. Read More

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Hotels

from: $139

Seascape Resort Monterey Bay

One Seascape Resort Drive
Aptos, CA 95003 Map

Distance: 8.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
5.0

Pleasure Point Inn

2-3665 East Cliff Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Distance: 0.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

Adobe on Green B&B

103 Green St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Distance: 0.1 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
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Attractions

Wilder Ranch State Park

expert favorite attraction
North of Santa Cruz on Hwy. 1
1401 Old Coast Rd.
Santa Cruz, California 95060

Distance: 3.0 mi. (from destination center)

Description: There's plenty of room at Wilder Ranch State Park to explore—the park has 34 miles of hiking, biking, and horse trails.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

expert favorite attraction
Santa Cruz Mountains
21600 Big Basin Way
Boulder Creek, California 95006

Distance: 17.1 mi. (from destination center)

Description: With more than 80 miles of trails and endless redwood forest, the park's 18,000-plus acres of mixed conifer, oak, chaparral, and riparian habitat are a nature-lover's dream.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve

expert favorite attraction
East of Moss Landing
1700 Elkhorn Rd.
Moss Landing, California 95039

Distance: 18.5 mi. (from destination center)

Description: More than 340 bird species nest at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve. The reserve is... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
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Airports

Major Airports near Santa Cruz

Distance (mi.)
San Jose International Airport 26.9 map
San Francisco International Airport 48.5 map
Oakland International Airport 52.4 map

Other Smaller Airports near Santa Cruz

Distance (mi.)
Carmel/Monterey Peninsula Airport 28.8 map
Modesto Municipal Airport 74.1 map
Merced Municipal Airport 86.1 map

Flight Deals to Santa Cruz

Originating From
Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose (SJC) $126
San Diego (SAN) to San Jose (SJC) $145
Las Vegas (LAS) to San Jose (SJC) $146
Seattle (SEA) to San Jose (SJC) $166
Denver (DEN) to San Jose (SJC) $176

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