RV Logistics
By Alex V. · Owner, Beach RV Pleasure Point · Updated July 2026
The short answer
Two RV dump stations near Santa Cruz are open and close in: New Brighton State Beach in Capitola, about ten minutes from Pleasure Point, with a day-use entry fee plus an automated dump fee, and Steve's 76 gas station on Soquel Drive, about five to ten minutes out. Farther south in Watsonville, Pinto Lake City Park and the KOA take dumps but call ahead. Seacliff's dump station has been closed since 2023 and Sunset State Beach has none. Call to confirm current fees, since the online numbers conflict.
Two RV dump stations near Santa Cruz are open and close in: New Brighton State Beach in Capitola, about ten minutes away, and Steve's 76 gas station on Soquel Drive, about five to ten minutes. Farther out in Watsonville, Pinto Lake City Park and the KOA take dumps, but call ahead. Seacliff's dump is closed and Sunset State Beach has none.
If you are staying with us at Beach RV Pleasure Point, you do not need a dump station at all. All 16 of our sites are full hookup, so you empty your tanks at your own site. This guide is for people passing through Santa Cruz, or camped somewhere without a sewer connection, who need a place to dump on the way.
The online dump-station directories for this area are unreliable. They list places that closed years ago, a dump at a state beach that has none, and random gas stations. The spots below are the ones that check out.
RV dump stations near Santa Cruz at a glance
| Dump station | Area | Public access | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brighton State Beach | Capitola, ~10 min | Yes, pay day-use entry | Day-use fee + $10 dump fee (July 2026) | 4 dump holes, fresh-water fill |
| Steve's 76 (Union 76) | 1500 Soquel Dr, ~5-10 min | Yes, public | Call to confirm — (831) 476-3857 | Gas-station dump, open 6am-10pm |
| Pinto Lake City Park | Watsonville, ~25-30 min | Call ahead — 831-722-8129 | Call to confirm (~$10 reported) | Municipal RV park |
| Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA | Watsonville, ~30 min | Call ahead — (831) 722-0551 | Not published — call | Private KOA |
| Seacliff State Beach | Aptos | Closed since Jan 2023 | — | RV campground + dump closed |
| Sunset State Beach | Watsonville | No dump station | — | State sends campers to New Brighton |
New Brighton State Beach
- Area
- Capitola, ~10 min
- Public access
- Yes, pay day-use entry
- Fee
- Day-use fee + $10 dump fee (July 2026)
- Notes
- 4 dump holes, fresh-water fill
Steve's 76 (Union 76)
- Area
- 1500 Soquel Dr, ~5-10 min
- Public access
- Yes, public
- Fee
- Call to confirm — (831) 476-3857
- Notes
- Gas-station dump, open 6am-10pm
Pinto Lake City Park
- Area
- Watsonville, ~25-30 min
- Public access
- Call ahead — 831-722-8129
- Fee
- Call to confirm (~$10 reported)
- Notes
- Municipal RV park
Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA
- Area
- Watsonville, ~30 min
- Public access
- Call ahead — (831) 722-0551
- Fee
- Not published — call
- Notes
- Private KOA
Seacliff State Beach
- Area
- Aptos
- Public access
- Closed since Jan 2023
- Fee
- —
- Notes
- RV campground + dump closed
Sunset State Beach
- Area
- Watsonville
- Public access
- No dump station
- Fee
- —
- Notes
- State sends campers to New Brighton
The two reliable dump stations near Santa Cruz
New Brighton State Beach in Capitola is a proper RV sanitation station, about ten minutes from Pleasure Point. It has four dump holes and a fresh-water fill, and non-campers can use it. You pay the park day-use vehicle fee to drive in, then a separate $10 dump fee at an automated pay station that takes a credit card, as of July 2026. Both amounts change, so call (831) 464-6329 to confirm before you go.
Steve's 76, a Union 76 gas station at 1500 Soquel Drive, is closer, about five to ten minutes out. It is open to the public, dumps between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and has run as a dump station for years. The fee is where the online listings disagree the most, and a fuel fill-up may lower it, so call ahead for the current price: (831) 476-3857. If you are in a big rig, check that there is room to pull in at the pumps.
RV dump stations in Watsonville: call ahead
If the two close-in options do not work for you, two more sit about 25 to 30 minutes south in Watsonville. Neither publishes a clear drop-in policy, so treat both as call-ahead.
- Pinto Lake City Park (451 Green Valley Road) is a municipal RV park with a dump station. Guest reports put the fee around ten dollars, but the park does not post a non-guest policy, so call first: 831-722-8129.
- Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA Holiday (1186 San Andreas Road) is a private KOA. KOAs often let non-guests dump for a fee, but this location does not publish one. Call to confirm access and price: (831) 722-0551.
Dump stations that are closed or do not exist
Two listings you will still find online are wrong, and both matter because they send people to a dead end.
- Seacliff State Beach (Aptos) — closed. The RV campground and its dump station have been shut since the January 2023 storms. State Parks' park page describes a planning process for rebuilding the campground, while a State Parks district planner told Lookout Santa Cruz in January 2026 that they do not plan to rebuild the RV campground in that location. Either way nothing is open, so ignore any directory that still lists it.
- Sunset State Beach (Watsonville) — no dump station. Some directories list one, but there isn't. The state directs its own Sunset campers to New Brighton to dump.
- Beach RV Pleasure Point (us) — not a public dump. A couple of directories list our park as a public dump station by mistake. We are full hookup for registered guests only and do not take non-guest dumps.
Skip the dump station with a full-hookup site
The reason our guests never think about any of this is the hookups. A full-hookup site has a sewer connection right at the pad, so you empty your tanks where you are parked and never plan a trip around a dump station. All 16 sites at Beach RV Pleasure Point are full hookup, a nine-minute walk from the beach on the East Side, so dumping is one thing you can cross off the list.
Common questions
Where can I dump my RV near Santa Cruz?
Two spots are open and close in: New Brighton State Beach in Capitola, about ten minutes from Pleasure Point, with a day-use entry fee plus an automated dump fee, and Steve's 76 gas station on Soquel Drive, about five to ten minutes out. Farther south in Watsonville, Pinto Lake City Park and the KOA take dumps but call ahead to confirm access.
How much does it cost to dump an RV in Santa Cruz?
New Brighton charges the park day-use vehicle fee to get in plus a separate $10 dump fee at an automated pay station, as of July 2026. Steve's 76 dumps from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and charges a fee that may be lower with a fuel fill-up, though the online figures for it conflict. Fees change, so call Steve's 76 at (831) 476-3857 for the current price, and New Brighton at (831) 464-6329.
Can I dump my RV at a gas station near Santa Cruz?
Yes, at one. Steve's 76, a Union 76 station at 1500 Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz, is open to the public and has run a dump station for years, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is about five to ten minutes from Pleasure Point. The fee is where online listings disagree the most and a fuel fill-up may lower it, so call (831) 476-3857 for the current price. In a big rig, check there is room to pull in at the pumps. No other gas station in the Santa Cruz area is a reliable public dump.
Is there an RV dump station at Seacliff State Beach?
No, not anymore. Seacliff's RV campground and dump station have been closed since the January 2023 storms, and what replaces it is unsettled. State Parks' park page describes a rebuild in planning, while a State Parks district planner said in January 2026 that they do not plan to rebuild at that location. Some online directories still list it, but they are out of date.
Does Sunset State Beach have a dump station?
No. Despite some directory listings, Sunset State Beach has no dump station. The state directs its own Sunset campers to New Brighton State Beach to dump.
Can I dump at Beach RV Pleasure Point?
No. Beach RV Pleasure Point is a full-hookup park for registered guests and does not offer dumping to non-guests. A few online directories list it as a public dump station by mistake. Guests staying at the park dump at their own site, because all 16 sites are full hookup.
Do I need a dump station if I stay at a full-hookup RV park?
No. At a full-hookup site your sewer hose connects right at the pad, so you empty your tanks there and skip the dump-station stop entirely. All 16 sites at Beach RV Pleasure Point are full hookup.
About the author
Alex V. — Alex owns and runs Beach RV Pleasure Point, a sixteen-site RV park a nine-minute walk from the surf on the Santa Cruz East Side. These guides are the same advice we give guests at the office.