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In Santa Cruz, come for the surf, stay for the hiking.
By
Fiona Chandra
Welcome toTwo Days Away, our series featuring weekend-long itineraries within a five-hour drive of your city—because sometimes we all just need a little adventure fix.
Santa Cruz may be most known for its historic boardwalk, surf culture and laid-back attitude, but this California beach town is also surrounded by coastal redwood forests and under-the-radar state parks that offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy the diverse landscape. In the 19th century, the main industry of Santa Cruz was lumber and limestone, but these days the city is primarily a beach town and college town.
A beach day here is a choice between Santa Cruz’s Main Beach and its boardwalk – California’s oldest amusem*nt park – that offers family-friendly entertainment or quieter beaches nestled between bluffs. Head in any direction inland and there are hiking trails that traverse through douglas fir and redwood trees.
Santa Cruz is home to several top-notch breweries and coffee shops and the dining scene has been following suit with some fun new openings in the past few years. Known by the tagline “Keep Santa Cruz Weird,” the city has grown up while keeping its free-spirited character, and its banana slugs.
Travel time
1.5 hours from San Francisco
If you don’t do anything else: Hike in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (and find a hidden fish pond)
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park may not be as famous as some of the other redwood parks in California, but this state park encompasses 1750 acres of coastal redwood trees within its 4,600 acres of parkland.
The main part of the park is the southern section, with the Redwood Grove loop, a mile-long trail in a 40-acre grove of old-growth redwoods. Alternatively, hike along the San Lorenzo River and take the time to stop at Cable Car beach, a sandy river bank where you can go for a swim.
The redwoods alone are worth visiting this park for, but one of the trails also hides a secret gem. The Fall Creek unit is in the northern section of the park and boasts 20 miles of trails. One trail takes hikers to the ruins of old lime kilns – stone structures used to produce quicklime until the early 1900s. The park was named after the businessman Henry Cowell, who was running his lime manufacturing operations on this property. Hidden among the trees behind the kilns is an old concrete trough that someone had turned into a fish pond with koi and goldfish.
Another way to enjoy a glimpse of the park is Roaring Camp, which offers a steam train ride through the redwood forest for those who don’t want to hike or just want to ride a 19th-century narrow-gauge steam locomotive.
Fill your days:
Things to do outdoors in Santa Cruz
There’s more to Santa Cruz’s natural beauty than redwood trees. Head to Natural Bridges State Beach and see the park’s last remaining sea arch that sits about 15 feet off the coast. There were originally three arches but erosion eventually collapsed two. The last arch is closed to the public as it’s also in danger of collapsing, but visitors can enjoy it from a distance. The state park area also encompasses a monarch butterfly grove—the migrating monarchs are typically in the area between October and February.
Another popular hiking spot is the Pogonip Open Space Preserve, located next to University of California, Santa Cruz. There are 11 miles of hiking trails in the preserve including the Spring Box trail which leads to another set of lime kiln ruins and a more popular koi pond.
Local museums in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History in downtown holds rotating exhibits of local artists as well as exhibits highlighting the community’s history. For example, one of the current exhibits showcases the history of Filipino Americans in the Pajaro Valley.
Santa Cruz is also home to a number of quirky and niche museums. Learn about how important Santa Cruz is to the history of surfing and skating at Santa Cruz Surfing Museum and the NHS Skate Museum, or dive into the weird side at The Mystery Spot and the Bigfoot Discovery Museum.
Eat, drink, and sleep:
Restaurants and bars in Santa Cruz
Spend the afternoon on a wine and brew crawl Swift Street Courtyard. Formerly a brussels sprouts packing plant, the industrial area is now home to half a dozen wine tasting rooms, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, a few restaurants and retail stores that range anywhere from knitting to home goods. Find one of the best coffee shops in town, 11th Hour Coffee in the courtyard, or hop across the street to Cat & Cloud Coffee.
One of the most exciting places to eat in Santa Cruz right now is Bad Animal – part bookstore, part wine bar, part rotating kitchen. Since 2022, Bad Animal has been hosting Hanloh, which serves a weekly menu of locally-sourced Thai food. Just a couple of blocks away is Laili Restaurant, which has been serving upscale Afghani food since 2010.
After dinner, swing by Roxa Hammock Cafe, where customers can relax in hammocks while sipping on one of their dozens of herbal tonics and elixirs. They also have couches and chairs if you’re looking to sit on something less mobile. On Fridays and Saturdays they stay open until 11pm, making it a great late night sober option.
Where to stay in Santa Cruz
Hotel Paradox underwent a renovation of their lobby and restaurant spaces last year, with vibrant artwork from local artists that tell the story of Santa Cruz from its natural beauty to its surfing beauty. In the summer, take a dip in the coffin-shaped pool and marvel at the 100-foot redwood tree sitting at the base of the pool. The hotel is also conveniently located – a short walk through Santa Cruz Riverwalk Park would take you to downtown.
Fiona Chandra is a Thrillist contributor.
