Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is 1h - 1h30 from Stanford depending on the traffic.
This is a really good place to visit for a day off from Stanford and enjoy its fresh air, ocean, seafood, or even the amusement park that is right on the beach, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
This makes for a great trip no matter the weather. When the sun is out, you can swim, surf, or just relax on the beach while getting a tan, and when it is overcast, it is perfect for going on a walk while enjoying a hot coffee.
1 - Cowell Beach. This part of Santa Cruz is really nice because it is generally a little less crowded than the other side of the wharf, and it is known as a beginner surf spot, so this is a great beach to learn how to surf. Boards and wetsuits can be rented at Cowell’s Surf Shop.
2 - Santa Cruz Wharf. The wharf is a nice walk filled with restaurants, shops, and areas to view the sea lions hanging out on the cross beams below.
This wharf is also nice when it’s really foggy, preferably during the night – the atmosphere is like a scary American movie.
3 - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. If you are a fan of amusement parks, then this is definitely a place to check out. There are plenty of rides, an arcade, mini golfing, and it is home to the famous roller coaster, the Giant Dipper.
The historic Giant Dipper was built in 1924 and is the oldest roller coaster in California, and fourth oldest in the US. It has been featured in multiple movies over the years due to its unique location.
With that said, the boardwalk does get very crowded and the rides are quite expensive, however, they do occasionally have discounts on day passes, so keep an eye out for that.
Great America and Six Flags are other amusement parks near Stanford.
4 - This area is a little less crowded and has great beaches like Twin Lakes, Sunny Cove, and 26th Avenue. This is a nice spot if you want to walk along the ocean and take in the surf.
Natural Bridges State Park. First off, the drive up West Cliff to reach Natural Bridges is one of the most beautiful parts of Santa Cruz.
You will also pass by the world-class surf spot Steamer Lane, which is easy to find as it is right below the cliff next to the lighthouse.
Natural Bridges is great due to three main reasons: it has a great beach, there are tide pools where you can search for sea anemones, starfish, crabs, and many other sea critters, and it is a migratory spot for monarch butterflies during the winter. Each year is slightly different, but the monarchs generally arrive mid-October and leave mid-February, and they form large orange clusters in the eucalyptus trees.
This is the only state monarch preserve in California.
There is a $10 parking fee if you don’t have a California State Park Pass.
Wilder Ranch State Park is known for its beautiful coastal landscapes that feature large cliffs overlooking both the ocean and its secluded beaches.
What is unique about this park is the variety of habitats.
You can go from being on a beach exploring the caves of the towering cliffs to enjoying the serene open space of the park’s grasslands, and then after a little bit of walking, find yourself in a dense green forest.
There are plenty of trails that not only follow the coastal cliffs near the ocean, but also ones that traverse the area from Wilder Ranch all the way up to University of California, Santa Cruz.
This is an excellent place to go hiking, running, or biking – some of the best mountain biking trails in California are found here.
Word of advice, if you do plan on exploring the trails that veer from the coast, make sure to have an offline map of the trails in the park.
Cell phone service is very spotty and the trails aren’t always marked well, so it is easy to get lost without a map.
There is a $10 parking fee if you don’t have a California State Park Pass.
Picture from Nathan
Just north of Santa Cruz is Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton.
This park is worth visiting if you are driving to or from Santa Cruz and have a little extra time for an excursion.
As the name suggests, this park features an abundance of redwood trees as well as a number of different hikes to suit your needs.
If you’re strapped for time, The Redwood Grove Trail is an easy, flat trail that is less than a mile long, but allows you to see some massive redwood trees.
If you have a few hours and prefer more challenging hikes that have views of the Santa Cruz mountains, then the Observation Deck Loop and Pipeline Road Trail are for you.
This is a state park, so there is a $10 parking fee if you do not have a California State Park Pass.