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Get outside play! Enjoy pristine coastal redwood forests, 29 miles of beaches, and endless opportunities to explore Santa Cruz County’s great outdoors and wildlife adventures. Try birding, tide pooling, hiking, whale watching, surfing, mountain biking, sailing, kayaking, and more.
Enjoy the birthplace of mainland surfing at full capacity. Take a surfing lesson with Club Ed Surf School or Richard Schmidt’s Surf School. Boards, wetsuits and good vibes are available for beginners and those who have tried a time or two.
Are you more of a nature and wildlife aficionado? Order a free Wildlife Watching Guide or download it digitally and see how many birds you can identify in state parks, at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, from the Santa Cruz Wharf, and other locations. Hop aboard a seasonal whale watching excursion or take a trip to see the elephant seals north of town.
Take it outside and see below for a full list of outdoor and wildlife activities in Santa Cruz County!
Tucked away in the mountains and dotting the landscape of the UC Santa Cruz campus stand the ruins of a once prosperous industry that helped put Santa Cruz on the map.
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The redwoods seem to be out of time and out of our ordinary thinking…
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The expansive coastline in Santa Cruz County offers endless options to explore coastal environments for tide pool treasures.
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