Santa Cruz County is in California just south of the Bay Area. The north half of Monterey Bay is part of the county. It is the state's second-smallest county by land area, with only San Francisco County occupying a smaller physical area.
Cities
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- 1 Aptos
- 2 Boulder Creek
- 3 Capitola
- 4 Felton
- 5 Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz is best known as a countercultural hub, with a fun bohemian feel and youthful vibe, and weekend tourist attractions like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a historic mission, and the dubious Mystery Spot. The beaches north and south of Santa Cruz are considered some of the more pristine areas of natural beauty in central California, and while conditions generally make them impractical for swimming, several are considered an expert surfer's cold, cold paradise.
- 6 Scotts Valley
- 7 Watsonville
Other destinations
[edit]Understand
[edit]In most of this county, you will be required to pay a 25¢ fee on all disposable cups – even for a cup of water, which would otherwise be free. You can bring your own water bottle, cup, or coffee mug to restaurants to avoid paying this fee.
Get in
[edit]Although the Highway 17 bus, which can be booked on Amtrak, connects the main train station in San Jose to downtown Santa Cruz, and the Monterey–Salinas Transit Route 28 connects Watsonville to Salinas and Monterey, most people drive in, following either the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) along the coast or Highway 17 from San Jose.
Get around
[edit]The bus system is the Santa Cruz Metro.
By bike
[edit]Road cyclists in central Santa Cruz County can escape the big city by going out Empire Grade, taking Branciforte to either Glen Canyon or Granite Creek, or even going out Hwy 1. A little to the east, two not so steep roads are Old San Jose Road (bit trafficky / better for descending, reachable from Branciforte via Laurel Glen) or Eureka Canyon (from Corralitos). Good connectors are Bear Creek, Smith Grade, Ice Cream Grade, Hwy 35, or even Mt. Hermon (from Granite Creek to Felton Empire). The worst traffic will be on Graham Hill or most of Hwy 9. To avoid Hwy 9 you'll need to do some climbing, but if that's your thing then try Empire Grade, Mountain Charlie, Zayante, Felton Empire, the wonderful Jamison Creek up from Big Basin Park, or the ridiculous Alba Road. Roads in Santa Cruz can be steep, and expect most to have some extended pitches of over 10%.
Do
[edit]Heading north of Santa Cruz along the coast, you leave the city limits and pass through agricultural fields for 11 mi (18 km) before reaching the small town of Davenport, which has a couple of restaurants, a B&B, and a huge cement plant that dominates the skyline. Each turnout along the road marks a beach, many of which are prime surf spots. 1 Wilder Ranch State Park can be reached by a new bike path from just north of Natural Bridges. Its several nice beaches include 2 Three Mile Beach and 3 Four Mile Beach, named after their distances from town. 4 Laguna Creek Beach (with parking on the east of highway 1), 5 Panther and 6 Hole-in-the-Wall Beach (connected by a passage that closes at high tide), 7 Bonny Doon Beach (another famous clothing optional spot), and 8 Davenport Beach. For those who want to tour the beaches, Highway 1 has wide shoulders that are generally safe for cycling.
Big Basin is the oldest state park in California, full of old-growth redwoods and incredible views. However, it was affected by the CZU lightning complex fires in 2020, so a limited number of trails are open. It's recommended to reserve parking in advance, and check trail conditions beforehand.
San Vicente Redwoods is a project by the Santa Cruz County land trust to connect over 8,000 acres of wilderness. Located on the ridge along Empire Grade, it has many trails with views across the Santa Cruz mountains. It's open 9AM–5PM from October-April, and 8AM–7PM May–September, and visitors are required to buy a trail pass.
Sleep
[edit]There are some camping sites outside of the cities, mostly in California state parks.
- 1 Castle Rock State Park, ☏ +1 408-868-9540. Backpacking sites about 3 mi (4.8 km) from the parking lot. No cell phone reception. Camping $15/night (includes 1 vehicle). Extra vehicles and day use $10.
Go next
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- 1 San Mateo County - Located to the north of Santa Cruz County, San Mateo County has a split personality. Its eastern half is a heavily populated urban area, home to Silicon Valley companies, San Francisco International Airport, and all of the hotels, restaurants, malls, and other amenities needed to support a bustling population. The western half is completely different, offering an amazing escape for those looking to hike among redwoods, or who want to see seabirds, seals and whales while enjoying a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, or for couples hoping for a romantic getaway in a quiet B&B.
- 2 Santa Clara County - Santa Cruz County's northern neighbor is home to Silicon Valley, headquarters to hundreds of tech companies including giants like Apple, Intel and Hewlett Packard. Visitors will appreciate the massive array of restaurants, museums, and cultural opportunities offered by the huge city of San Jose, while at the other end of the spectrum the tiny town of Gilroy is famous for garlic, with its annual festival attracting over 100,000 garlic lovers.
- 3 San Benito County - Southeast of Santa Cruz County, San Benito County is an inland county dominated by the Coast Mountain Range. It is relatively sparsely populated, with only about 55,000 inhabitants. Pinnacles National Park and its dramatic rock formations lies in this county, as well as the town of San Juan Bautista and its historic mission.
- 4 Monterey County - Located south of Santa Cruz County, Monterey County is what many people think of when they think of the Central Coast - the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the beautiful 17-Mile Drive, Cannery Row, Pebble Beach golf course, and the rugged beauty of Big Sur. The northern part of the county contains every manner of amenity for travelers, ranging from chain motels to five star resorts, while the southern portion of the county is remote and accessible mainly by the Pacific Coast Highway or on foot by hikers.