Things to Do
By Alex V. · Owner, Beach RV Pleasure Point · Updated August 2026
The short answer
Santa Cruz, California is a beach town on the north shore of Monterey Bay, about 75 miles south of San Francisco. Four things are worth planning a trip around: the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the surf at Pleasure Point and Steamer Lane, the West Cliff bluff walk, and old-growth redwoods twenty minutes inland. Two or three days covers all of that. The water is warmest in September and October, and those two months get the least fog. Checked August 2026, after a year of closures and reopenings across the county.
The Boardwalk and the wharf sit next to each other at Main Beach. Steamer Lane is west of them at the lighthouse, Pleasure Point is a few miles east, and the old-growth redwoods start twenty minutes inland. The county is small enough that you can do two of those in a day.
We run the only RV park in Pleasure Point, sixteen sites on the Santa Cruz East Side. Most days a guest asks at check-in what there is to do around here, and this is what we tell them, updated for what closed and reopened in 2026.
Start at Pleasure Point
The East Cliff bluffs look straight down on the lineup at The Hook, and there are surfers in the water every day of the year. Stand there for twenty minutes before you plan anything else.
The blufftop path follows the water from 32nd to 41st Avenue, with benches and stairs down to the beach. There's coffee around the corner on 41st. Our Pleasure Point guide covers the rest of the neighborhood on foot.
The Boardwalk and the wharf
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is free to walk into, and you pay per ride or buy a wristband. The 1924 Giant Dipper is the one people line up for. The newest ride is Vertigo 360, a 60-foot spinner that opened in 2026, and on summer Friday nights there are free movies on the sand.
The Santa Cruz Wharf reopened end to end in April 2026, sixteen months after a winter storm dropped its seaward section into the bay. There's a new sea-lion viewing hole cut into the rebuilt deck. The wharf and the Boardwalk are both a 15-minute drive from the East Side.
Beaches, from Main Beach to the East Side
Main Beach by the Boardwalk is the busiest beach in town. The ones near us on the East Side are locals' beaches, and they stay a lot emptier than that end of town. Nine minutes on foot from the park gets you to Corcoran Lagoon Beach, which everybody around here calls Santa Mo's. Moran Lake and 26th Avenue are close by. Sunny Cove is small and pretty, and it draws a party crowd on summer weekends, so go in the morning if you want it calm.
For tidepools, go to Natural Bridges State Beach on the West side. Parking is $10, and you want to go at a low tide. From mid-October to mid-February the same park fills with thousands of overwintering monarch butterflies.
Capitola is a five-minute drive, a tiny walkable beach town with restaurant patios over the sand and a wharf that reopened in September 2024 after its storm rebuild. Parking there is difficult. Our Capitola Beach guide says where to leave the car.
Our guide to the best beaches in Santa Cruz goes beach by beach on parking, swim conditions, and bonfire rules.
The redwoods, twenty minutes inland
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is about 20 minutes away and $10 to park. The 0.8-mile Redwood Grove Loop is flat and stroller-friendly, and it runs under 270-foot old-growth trees. Roaring Camp Railroads sits next door, with a steam train up Bear Mountain year-round and a beach train down to the Boardwalk daily in summer.
Big Basin, California's oldest state park, is open for limited day use while it rebuilds from the 2020 fire, and the forest growing back is worth the drive. Leave the rig at your site, because the park takes no RVs or trailers. Our best hikes in Santa Cruz guide has the current closures, the parking reservation, and the longer walks out on the ocean bluffs and up the waterfall trails.
With kids
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center on the West side keeps Ms. Blue, an 87-foot blue-whale skeleton, beside its touch tanks, and it's open daily in summer. The Mystery Spot is a roadside gravity-illusion attraction. Tickets ran about $12 plus $5 parking when we checked in August 2026, and weekend tours sell out, so book ahead and confirm the current price.
Back at the park, ask about the painted rocks in the gardens. Guests have been adding to them for years, and kids go looking for them.
Free things to do
West Cliff Drive fully reopened in 2025 after two years of storm repairs. It runs 2.7 flat, paved miles from Steamer Lane to Natural Bridges, with surf breaks below the cliff. The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum sits in the lighthouse at the midpoint and runs on donations, Thursday through Monday afternoons.
The downtown farmers market runs Wednesdays from 12:30 to 5 at Cedar and Church, with growers from around the county. Pacific Avenue is a block over, and that's where the bookstores are.
Sunset from the East Cliff bluffs is free too, and you can walk there from the park.
The latest Santa Cruz travel tips, checked August 2026
- The Murray Street bridge at the harbor is closed to cars, bikes, and walkers into late 2026. From the East Side, route to downtown on Soquel Avenue, and check the city's project page before you count on the date.
- Highway 1 has overnight lane closures between Soquel and Aptos into fall 2026. If you're arriving late with the RV, leave yourself extra time and check Caltrans QuickMap the day you drive.
- Woodies on the Wharf in late June and the Wharf to Wharf race on the fourth Sunday of July both fill the town. Book early for either, and expect closed roads near the race course that morning.
- Summer mornings are often foggy and burn off by midday, so locals go inland to the redwoods in the morning and save the beach for the afternoon. Our best time to visit guide goes month by month.
Common questions about visiting Santa Cruz
Is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk free?
Yes, it's free to walk in, and you pay per ride or buy a wristband. The 1924 Giant Dipper is the best-known ride, Vertigo 360 is the 60-foot spinner that opened in 2026, and there are free movies on the sand on summer Friday nights. It's about a 15-minute drive from the East Side.
Has the Santa Cruz Wharf reopened?
Yes. The wharf reopened end to end in April 2026, sixteen months after a winter storm dropped its seaward section into the bay. There's a new sea-lion viewing hole in the rebuilt deck.
What is there to do in Santa Cruz when it's foggy?
Go to the redwoods. Summer mornings on the coast are often foggy and burn off by midday, and Henry Cowell is about 20 minutes inland, usually out of the fog. Most people save the beach for the afternoon.
Is anything closed in Santa Cruz in summer 2026?
Yes. The Murray Street bridge at the harbor is fully closed to cars, bikes, and walkers for most of summer 2026, so from the East Side route to downtown on Soquel Avenue. Highway 1 also has overnight lane closures between Soquel and Aptos into fall 2026, and Big Basin is open for limited day use while it rebuilds from the 2020 fire.
About the author
Alex V. — Alex owns and runs Beach RV Pleasure Point, a sixteen-site RV park a nine-minute walk to the surf on the Santa Cruz East Side. These guides are the same advice we give guests at the office.