Best Camping Spots & Outdoor Adventures
Explore the best best camping spots & outdoor adventures options for kids and families in Santa Cruz
Mountain Sea Adventures
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lighthouse Field State Beach
Serene spot with a variety of vistas. Iconic spot with a lighthouse offers a variety of vistas & pathways for dog walking & strolling.
DeLaveaga Park
Picnic, recreational & athletic areas. Grassy space includes picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, bocci ball courts, trails & a creek.
Natural Bridges Tidepools
Rock pools with diverse marine life. Public tide pools in the rocks at Natural Bridges State Beach home to anemones, sea stars & crabs.
Wilder Ranch State Park
Picnic areas, trails & horseback riding. Natural landscape with diverse activities including hiking trails, picnic areas & horseback riding.
Garden of Eden - Henry Cowell Redwood State Park
Wooded hiking area with a swimming hole. Picturesque wilderness area featuring a riverside loop trail & a natural swimming hole.
Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort
Riverfront campground with a clubhouse. RV hookups & sites for camping offered in a wooded, riverfront setting with a rustic clubhouse.
New Brighton State Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Park with campgrounds & hiking trails. Featuring a variety of forested areas, this park offers camping, fishing, hiking & picnic spots.
Roaring Camp
Train rides & all-ages special events. Family-friendly park offers train rides amid natural landscapes, seasonal routes & special events.
Campground | New Brighton State Beach
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Mount Hermon Adventures
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Seacliff State Beach Parking and Campground
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Coast Dairies State Beaches
Beaches & bluffs along the Coastal Trail. A series of small beaches with bluffs & rock formations following a stretch of the Coastal Trail.
Hidden Falls Girl Scout Camp
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Highlands County Park
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The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Outdoor destination for hiking & biking. Hiking, biking & jogging trails on varied terrain rising from sea level to steep coastal mountains.
Loch Lomond Recreation Area
Reservoir park for fishing & boating. Scenic 175-acre reservoir park for fishing, boating & hiking (seasonal & can be closed by drought).
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Natural area with mountain biking trails. Scenic forested park featuring redwoods, natural springs & a series of cycling trails.
Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
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Sunset Campground
Simple campground with beach access. Campground at Sunset State Beach featuring tent & RV sites, plus beach access & picnicking.
Sunset State Beach
Oceanside spot for picnics & camping. Beach surrounded by steep sand dunes offering picnic areas & campsites, plus bay & mountain views.
Camp Loma
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South Campground
Campsite in scenic surroundings. This dune-protected campsite under the pines offers spaces for RVs & tents, along with ocean views.
Camp Krem
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Pinto Lake County Park
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Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
Woodland oasis with permit-only trails. Hiking & horseback riding are allowed by permit in this 1,400-acre preserve with forest & fields.
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Hiking trails, wildlife & dramatic views. 18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.
Lexington Reservoir County Park
Hiking, boating & fishing destination. Scenic park & reservoir featuring hiking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch & shoreline fishing.
St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve
Demanding trails in a dog-friendly space. This 270-acre site welcomes dogs & provides challenging trails for hikers, bikers & equestrians.
Big Basin Tent Cabins
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Waterman Gap Trail Camp
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Sequoia Peterson Grove
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Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Hiking trails & other outdoor activities. California's oldest state park offers backpacking, mountain biking & other outdoor activities.
Sanborn County Park
Lush forested park with camping & hiking. Verdant wooded park featuring RV/tent campsites, plus picnic areas & over 15 miles of hiking trails.
Vasona Lake County Park
Site with a sprawling lawn, trail & lake. Public green space with 45 acres of lawn, a multi-use trail & picnic areas plus a lake with fishing.
Castle Rock State Park
Camping, hiking & horseback riding. Park offering 34 miles of hiking & horseback riding trails among redwoods & other regional trees.
Heintz Open Space
Outdoor destination with trails & trees. A wooded park with hiking & biking trails, attracting a range of wildlife & birds.
Castle Rock Trail Camp
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WilderSkills Outdoor Adventures
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Sunset Trail Camp
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Los Gatos Creek County Park
Dog-friendly outdoor spot with AstroTurf. Dog-friendly public space with an AstroTurf lawn, hiking trails, bicycle paths & fishing ponds.
Marina Dunes RV Park
Coastal RV campsite with many amenities. RV campground near the beach offering free Wi-Fi, a clubhouse, a fitness room, showers & laundry.
Stevens Creek County Park
Trails, picnic areas & a reservoir. Miles of multi-use trails, shaded picnic areas & a large reservoir for fishing & boating.
Locke-Paddon Park
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Vince DiMaggio Park
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McClellan Ranch Preserve
Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.
Portal Park
Picnic facilities & recreation center. Small park offering a large, reservable picnic & barbecue area, playground & recreation building.
Hellyer County Park
Urban park with a multi-use, paved trail. Green space featuring a 15-mile paved trail, plus picnicking, disc golf, a dog park & a velodrome.
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Park with ocean beach & bluff-top views. A trail leads to the beach in this park with a bluff-top platform offering views of Monterey Bay.
Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary
Nature reserve for seasonal butterflies. Preserve with pine, cypress & eucalyptus trees sheltering thousands of monarch butterflies Oct–Mar.
Black Mountain Backpack Camp
Basic tent sites with a toilet. Campground in Monte Bello Open Space Preserve featuring basic tent sites & a toilet.
Redwood Glen
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve
Hiking area featuring a working farm. Rural nature preserve with 25 miles of hiking trails, plus a working farm & a model plane launch.
Memorial County Park
Redwood forest with trails & campgrounds. This wooded parkland offers an array of wildlife, hiking trails, picnic tables & camping areas.
Jack Brook Horse Camp
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Serra Park
Tennis courts, ball fields & open lawns. Nature area with tennis courts, ball fields, playground & picnic areas, plus manicured & open space.
San Carlos Beach Park
Tranquil spot with bayside vistas. 2.87-acre city park offering footpaths, benches, landscaped turf & scenic bay views.
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
3,137-acre park with diverse plant life. Massive 3,137-acre green space with many trails & a wide range of plant life & wildflowers.
Guadalupe River Park
Riverside park with running trails. Small city park offering a visitor's center, a playground, a community garden & 2.6 miles of trails.
Monterey Bay Kayaks
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Hidden Villa
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Nature's Outings
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Foothills Open Space Preserve
Small wooded preserve with bay views. Nature preserve with 212-acres of wooded ridges & ravines & an uphill trail leading to bay vistas.
Casanova Oak Knoll Park Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Foothills Nature Preserve
1,400-acre nature preserve with trails. Miles of trails guide visitors through woodlands & fields, past streams & lakes in this vast park.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.
Other Things to See
Best Sports & Fitness Activities for Kids
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Top Public Schools & School Districts
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Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes
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Things to Do with Kids at Night
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Best After-School Programs & Activities
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Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
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Top Private Schools for Kids
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Best Places for Birthday Parties
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Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
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Things to Do with Toddlers
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Music Lessons & Performing Arts Programs
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Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
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Best Family-Friendly Attractions
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Best Kids Camps & Summer Programs
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Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
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Language Classes for Children
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Best Theaters & Live Shows for Kids
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Best Tutoring Centers & Academic Support
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Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
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Best Indoor Play Areas for Kids
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Best Water Parks & Splash Pads
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Top Amusement Parks & Fun Centers
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Best Sports Leagues & Youth Athletics
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Best Science Centers & Discovery Zones
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Best Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Encounters
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Explore More Activities
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