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Parks & Beaches |
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 Image © Felton Fire Department Felton Covered Bridge and Park |
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Felton Historic Covered Bridge Park Located at Graham Hill Rd at Mount Hermon Rd in the town of Felton this is one of only a few covered bridges remaining is California. The park itself has large grassy areas for a picnic or or BBQ, a volleyball court, and a playground. Restrooms are available. Additional information about Covered Bridges in the Santa Cruz area can be found here. Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Here you can find a list of parks maintained by the city of Santa Cruz as well as photos and descriptions of the parks. You will also find information about local events and activities. California State Parks This is the official web site for the California State Park System. Here you will find listings for all of California's State Parks with info about campgrounds, fees, museums, etc. Santa Cruz State Parks This is an official web site focussing solely on the State Parks of Santa Cruz County. Virtual Parks Panoramas and maps of parks in the Santa Cruz area can be found here. |
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 Images © California State Parks Natural Bridges State Beach - Sunset State Beach Castle Rock State Park - Manresa State Beach Santa Cruz Area State Parks |
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Big Basin Redwoods State Park Established in 1902, Big Basin is California's oldest State Park. It features 18,000 acres of Old Growth and recovering Redwood Forest with over 80 miles of trails. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops. Location & Directions: The park is 25 miles northwest of Santa Cruz via Highways 9 and 236. All roads into Big Basin are curvy. Castle Rock State Park Embracing 3,600 acres along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Castle Rock State Park embraces 3,600 acres of coast redwood, Douglas-fir, and madrone forest. Featuring steep canyons the park is sprinkled with unusual rock formations that are popular with rock climbers. The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. Location - Directions: The park is located on Highway 35, just 2 1/2 miles southeast of the junction with Highway 9. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park With 15 miles of hiking and riding trails the Redwood Forest of this park looks much the same as it did 200 years ago. The main park area, containing the large, old-growth redwoods, is about 1,750 acres, and the northern area (Fall Creek) is 2,390 acres, with about 20 miles of hiking trails. The tallest tree in the park is about 285 feet tall, and about 16 feet wide. The oldest trees in the park are about 1400 to 1800 years old. Location - Directions: The park is near Felton on Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You can park outside the park entrance and walk a half mile into the park, or you can drive in and pay a fee. Lighthouse Field State Beach Also known as Point Santa Cruz, this area forms the northern boundary of Monterey Bay. It is one of the last open headlands in any California urban area. Surfers, tourists, birds - including the rare Black Swift and wintering Monarch butterflies are drawn to this area. Sea lions populate the offshore rocks. The lighthouse is home to California's first surfing museum and is the location each Christmas for "Caroling Under the Stars," a Santa Cruz tradition which attracts hundreds of locals and visitors. Location - Directions: The beach is on West Cliff Drive in downtown Santa Cruz. Manresa State Beach Manresa State Beach features a beautiful expanse of sea and sand, with surf fishing, surfing, and recreation. Location - Directions: From Highway 1, south of Aptos, San Andreas Road heads southwest and continues for several miles to Manresa, the first beach access upon reaching the coast. Natural Bridges State Beach With its famous natural bridge, this beach offers an excellent vantage point for viewing shore birds, migrating whales, and seals and otters playing offshore. Low tides and tidepools further along the beach reveal sea stars, crabs, sea anemones, and other colorful ocean life. The park also includes a large area of coastal scrub meadows, with bright native wildflowers in the spring. Location - Directions: Take Swift Avenue west from Highway 1, or follow West Cliff Drive north along the in-town bluffs until it ends at Natural Bridges. New Brighton State Beach The New Brighton beach features picnic areas, swimming, fishing and a nearby forest of Monterey pine and Coastal Live Oak. The camping area is on a bluff overlooking northern Monterey Bay. Location - Directions: The beach is in the town of Capitola, just south of Santa Cruz. The beach can be reached by taking the New Brighton/Park Avenue exit off Highway One. Santa Cruz Mission State Park Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is the site of a complex of buildings erected around the original Santa Cruz Mission, which was built during the 1790s as California's 12th mission. Location - Directions: The historic park is in downtown Santa Cruz; take Mission Street to Mission Plaza. The adobe is located one block off the plaza on School Street. Seacliff State Beach This beach is known for its fishing pier and concrete freighter, The Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the ship is unsafe and closed to the public. Only the pier is open for fishing. The beach is also a popular swimming spot. There is a long stretch of sand backed by bluffs. There is a covered picnic facility. The park also has an interpretive center. Location - Directions: Take the State Park Drive exit from Highway One in the neighborhood of Aptos. Sunset State Beach Featuring pine trees, mountainous sand dunes, and ocean side picnic spots, the beach is bordered by large agricultural fields west of the city of Watsonville. Location - Directions: The beach is 16 miles south of Santa Cruz via Highway One and San Andreas Road. Forrest of Niscene Marks State Park Once the site of logging operations in the early 1900s, there is still evidence of logging operations, mill sites and trestles in the park's 10,000 acres of rugged semi-wilderness. With over 30 miles of trails the park has trails for hiking, jogging and biking. Picnic tables and barbecue pits are available. Location - Directions: The park is four miles north of Aptos on Aptos Creek Road. Twin Lakes State Beach Twin Lakes beach has a mile of sandy shoreline, popular for swimming and picnicking, and the park's adjacent Schwan's lake is a good location for bird watching. Location - Directions: The small craft harbor in downtown Santa Cruz is approximately in the middle of Twin Lakes State Beach, which extends for a distance parallel to East Cliff Drive and Portola Drive. Wilder Ranch State Park The park has 4,505 acres, with 34 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails winding through coastal terraces and valleys. Several restored buildings once belonging to the Wilder family are preserved. The park has tours and living history demonstrations to help visitors explore the history of early ranchers and farmers along the Central Coast. Surrounding grounds include Victorian homes, gardens, and historic adobe. Location & Directions: The park is north of Santa Cruz, immediately west of Highway One, just a mile or so past the Western Drive stoplight. |
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