Santa Cruz County is your four-season kind of place, and in the winter there’s a special glow. Soft Central Coast temperatures, storm-surge seascapes, misty redwood forest, and even “cooler” vibes make for an ideal winter escape.
And as much as we love checking that weather app… kids don’t really care. For the wee ones, weather is merely an opportunity to wear rain boots and splash around in puddles. Rain or shine, they just want to have fun. Here’s your family-friendly guide to discovering the joy of winter in Santa Cruz County.
Tide Pool Time
Part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Cruz County’s expansive coastline presents miles of tidal treasure. Brilliantly colored sea stars, dragon-esque nudibranchs, mighty anemones, hermit crabs: it’s like an episode of Sponge Bob, IRL. Instagram-ready, the colors in tide pools can be even more vivid with the flat light from winter cloud cover. Tide pools happen almost everywhere at ebb tide, and parents rave and kids go gaga over Pleasure Point for its bounty of tide pools and fine sandy beach. Reach Pleasure Point starting at 32nd Street, with the best access down any stairway near East Cliff Drive. Another all-star option is Natural Bridges State Beach, located at the end of West Cliff Drive, where tide pools combine with the only State Monarch Butterfly Preserve in California for a winter double-play.
Talk about teachable moments – tide pools are incredibly sensitive habitats and exploring them offers the bonus opportunity to introduce kiddos to “leave no trace” ethos when viewing Santa Cruz County wildlife. Things can be slippery here, so wearing grippy footwear is a pro tip. And always, respect for the ocean (never turn your back to the surf and beware of tidal changes)! Check out the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center (find it near the Dream Inn and Beach Boardwalk) for inspiration before heading out.
Sandy Shoes
Winter hikes on muddy trails can be daunting with kids in tow; no worries, Santa Cruz beaches are here for the hiking! Beachcombing walks are the best with kids. Places like the sand-dune and seagrass-studded shoreline of Pajaro Dunes; Manresa State Beach in Watsonville where sea otters, grey whales, and dolphins play offshore; Seacliff State Beach in Aptos; and Waddell State Beach in Davenport with its Rancho Del Oso Nature & History Center all will tempt the entire family to kick off their shoes for sandy shoreline romps.
Año Nuevo State Park is another beach-borne adventure with a big winter bonus. Every year, herds of elephant seals return here to bring in a new generation of gentle giants. The interpretive staging area at Año Nuevo is the perfect place to begin your winter safari, with access during the winter offered exclusively on guided tours. Fun fact: elephant seals sport a giant proboscis (nose) that fills with air and enables them to bellow so loud your shoes might untie!
Whistlestop Winter Wahoo
In the Santa Cruz Mountains hamlet of Felton, Roaring Camp Railroads and its Redwood Forest Steam Train makes the scenic round-trip from historic Roaring Camp all the way to the summit of Bear Mountain via vintage steam locomotives. Roaring Camp’s narrow-gauge track once hauled redwood logs out of this rain-forest like range in the late 1800s. The throwback excursion crosses tall trestles and navigates through towering redwood groves as conductors offer colorful commentary along the way. If you’re visiting in December, there’s a bonus: the Holiday Lights Train takes a magical turn with departures from the Beach Boardwalk.
Boardwalkin’, With a Chance of Rain
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has provided exalted amusement to glee-seekers for more than a century. A limited number of rides keep running over the winter (see the Boardwalk’s online calendar) along with the year-round Casino Arcade, Santa Cruz’s largest with laser tag, air hockey, billiards, pinball, and 18-hole mini-golf course. Sugar’s always in season at Marini’s at the Beach, the celebrated local version of Wonka’s confection factory.
Keep your roll going at Boardwalk Bowl just across the “lane,” and right next door the Santa Cruz Wharf is another perfect complement to the Beach Boardwalk. Shops with on-trend apparel and souvenirs, restaurants, scenic Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary photo ops, and a colony of sea lions raising a delightful ruckus make the wharf stroll-worthy for the entire fam.
Hunker Down for Hands-On Fun
Stormy winter days offer their own set of delightful diversions in Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery is a Capitola hub for play, wonder, and family connection. The MOD’s hands-on exhibits are thoughtfully designed for multi-gen engagement and discovery. Getting creative and celebrating the power of play is the perfect antidote for any rainy day.
In partnership with the Long Marine Lab and UC Santa Cruz, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers daily tours to its marine mammal overlook, a colorful aquarium, and hands-on opportunities to interact with marine life through its popular touch-tanks. Kids can learn why waves are higher today than they were 50 years ago (spoiler alert: climate change) while parents can take in the million-dollar Pacific Ocean views from the Seymour’s location just north of Natural Bridges State Beach.
Toy Story, Too
Santa Cruz offers an outsized line-up of local and independent toy stores. Among the most iconic are Childish (two locations, one downtown and one midtown on Soquel Avenue) and Wonderland Toys in Aptos. Woman-owned Wonderland offers a wide array of educational toys and art supplies for kids of all ages. Classroom resources, too, for teachers enjoying a break. Each Childish store is a funporium, with exuberantly overstocked shelves featuring everything from books and toy trucks to branded beachballs and flying discs.
Best Basecamps for Kids
With an emphasis on family travel, Santa Cruz County is totally geared to all types of kid-friendly accommodations. Beachside hotel close to the action? Check. Vacation rental for multiple families sharing costs? No problem. An affordable motel because you plan on being out all day? Yes, indeed. With more than 100 properties to choose from, finding your best basecamp through our exclusive Lodging Guide couldn’t be easier.
Winter Fun-o-Meter
At the end of the day, the best metric for adventuring families is how much you played. Santa Cruz County measures up with unforgettable outings where weather forecasts take a backseat and everyone remembers how you laughed together, wondered aloud and made memories to last a lifetime.