Cheap Things To Do in Santa Cruz, California

At Monterey Bay's northern end, Santa Cruz offers some excellent swimming beaches. Though the sandstone br... More on DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: San Francisco and Northern California

This beach, with its famous natural bridge, is an excellent vantage point for viewing shore birds, migratin... More on Parks

This museum actually holds some interest for nonsurfers, thanks to its atmospheric location in he Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse on a pretty coastal stretch. Surf-history fans can check out the s...

overview: You can tour the many habitats of Santa Cruz simply with a stroll through the exhibit area; visit woodlands, chaparrel, grasslands, and a variety of marine environments. Pound acorns like... More on MuseumStuff.com

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is the site of a complex of buildings erected around the original Sa... More on Parks.ca.gov

Facing the square, there is a 1931 replica of the original church (half the size of the original) connected... More on Epinions.com

Traditional Iyengar Style Yoga Instruction Daily classes - two studios More on YogaFinder

PROS: good service, good food, good price! More on insiderpages.com

Season for Peak Fees: All Year Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park features 15 miles of hiking and riding trai... More on ReserveAmerica.com

I think this is the best place to see the redwoods in the Bay Area. Here's why: 1. Relatively easy ... More on Trekaroo

This 11-mile loop is a satisfying jaunt through the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. Following the contours of the hillside, the Sunset Trail brings you th... More on Trails

Great views of More on Trails

Waves crash endlessly on the jagged north coast-seals and sea lions seek refuge in the sandycoves and rocky... More on GoingToTheBeach.com

Just a few minutes north of Natural Bridges State Park and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Wilder Ranch Sta... More on Trekaroo

Protecting the largest stand of old-growth redwoods south of Humboldt County, Big Basin Redwoods State Park features a forest world like no other in the Bay Area. The first state park in California... More on Trails

The Big Basin Redwood SP is really big and beautiful. The campsites are pr More on Trails

Also known as Point Santa Cruz, this area forms the northern boundary of Monterey Bay. It is one of the las... More on Parks.ca.gov

Lighthouse Field State Beach is one of two California state parks (the other being Natural Bridges State Be... More on Epinions.com

Draining a huge portion of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains, the San Lorenzo River cuts a narrow gorge 500 feet deep less than 10 miles from downtown Santa Cruz. Lush redwood forest fills this moi... More on Trails

The campgrounds were a little disappointing just because of how close they More on Trails