Attractions

Beach Train at Roaring Camp Felton, California

Want to rediscover the fun of an old fashioned Independence Day?  Roaring Camp Railroad has lots of vintage activities planned for the the Fourth.  This year they are putting on a vintage 50’s Fourth of July celebration with a sock hop and hula hoop contests.

Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, California provides family fun any time of year.  Visitors can choose to ride an old fashioned steam train in a redwood shaded loop.  They can also take  an old diesel train to the Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk.  This has been a favorite trek of picnickers and tourists for generations.

Horseshoe Making, Blacksmith Shop Roaring Camp

Last year our family enjoyed an old fashioned Independence Day celebration the weekend after July Fourth.  The blacksmith shop was open, and children were welcome to help pound out a horse shoe. My oldest son and his dad rode a handcart down the tracks for a small fee.  The little guys enjoyed a hula hoop contest and raced rubber ducks down a sluice.

This year, we visited the last weekend in June.  We could have caught an old fashioned train robbery up on the mountain, but instead elected to  ride the train down the the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  While the older kids in our group headed to the arcade, our preschoolers enjoyed digging in the sand.  We hopped back on the train and finished up our Roaring Camp adventure with a hike in nearby Henry Cowell State Park.

If you find yourself near the California Coast this Fourth of July, head to Roaring Camp for some old school fun. A steam or diesel train ride through the serene redwoods brings out the child in everyone.