I had a very good experience at the park. Leashed dogs are allowed on trails which can be rare in…read moreso many parks in this area. So it was great to be able to have my dogs along. However, be very careful because there are lots and lots of poison oak. So make sure that you stay on the trail with your dog and away from those bushes. It was also a great workout, because the trails are all going uphill, so they are great for giving your heart going. Free parking and there is a bathroom. Remember to bring your dog poo poo bags until dispose of them properly. The road to get to the park right after you turn from the main highway is very narrow at some point and you have to drive very slowly. Just be slow and careful and you will be fine, it was a bit intimidating at first, but it is a very short amount of time in which you drive from the very narrow section before you get to the park. Also remember to make your reservation on their website ahead of time. Although the parking is free, you are required to register.

Great hike, I was able to hike the entire area in about 2h30min. There's lots of different trails…read morethat you can take based on your hiking experience. Very peaceful and not crowded (I went on a Saturday morning). Plenty of parking spaces.

Back in the mid-80's, my younger brother and I had a bit of cabin fever, and decided to walk from…read moreour grandparents' central Watsonville home, up to Mount Madonna park. We made it about 2/3rds of the way up the winding, two lane road before a passing motorist stopped for us. The driver told us to pile into the bed of his pickup truck, then shortly after dropped us off at the park. My brother and I briefly explored the park, but dusk was approaching. Back in the days when there were public pay phones aplenty, we used a dime (or perhaps a quarter) to telephone our grandparents to ask for a car ride back down the mountain. In our youthful minds, it was just a little adventure, but our grandparents spoke of it for years afterwards.

On a warm Sat at the end of Feb, I hiked with 2 friends on an 8 miles, 700 ft elevation gain,…read moreSprig, Merry-Go-Round, and Tan Oak Loop. Paid $6, parked at the Amphitheater at 9am. Headed over to the ruins of Miller's Mansion. The forest grove sure was pretty and tranquil. The lake was nice but far away. Saw some benches carved out of huge logs, very cute. Too bad we missed the white deer pen. We completed the hike exactly at noon, 3 hours hike.

After considering it some more, I think it's worth upping the review to five stars. The surrounding…read morearea is beautiful and the restrooms are much cleaner than they were before. It's not hard to get parking and the whole area has pleasant vacation vibes. I'm a fan

This is part of the Seascape Resort. We chanced upon it during a stroll and this park probably has…read moreone of the most epic views for a park. You have spectacular views of the ocean and we saw a beautiful sunset from here.

Took the scenic route today and came across the Uvas Reservoir. The water line was low however it's…read morea nice place to fish, picnic, or go for a hike. It was very calming and relaxing to be among the trees. I saw lots of bicyclists ‍ riding down the hill, taking in the breeze.

We stumbled upon this park after having to turn around from Uvas Canyon County Reserve for not…read moreknowing to reserve a spot ahead of time. The hike was about less than 30m around the reservoir; it was beautiful, and we got to see plenty of wild flowers and cherry blossom. There are plenty of parking spaces and some picnic benches. Pics were from Feb, so I'm not sure you still can see the wild flowers now. Overall, it's a very pleasant hike.

This is a review of Pinto Lake City Park…read more You may not believe it, but I drove all the way from Costanoa to Downtown (?) Watsonville just to get a breakfast burrito. By the time I got to the market taqueria in question (review upcoming), it was too late for breakfast burritos, so I ordered a regular burrito and then looked for a green spot on the map to eat my (non-breakfast) burrito in peace. That green spot was Pinto Lake City Park, which isn't as green as you believe it will be but which is greener than its surroundings. The park comprises a whopping seventy-eight acres, although seventy of those acres are the southern half of Pinto Lake. The remaining eight acres are mainly the greenish park-looking areas south of the lake and these funny thin strips of land along it southwestern and -eastern shores. There's a different park farther north called Pinto Lake County Park; I didn't drive that far, but if you're having any kind of gathering, make sure everyone knows which of the two Pinto Lake Parks you're actually visiting. Strangely, Pinto Lake City Park is within the city limits of Watsonville even though it's far from Watsonville. How's that again? Well, the park is an exclave of the City of Watsonville. That is, it's a part of the city that's separated from the rest of the city by a few miles of what I assume is unincorporated Santa Cruz County. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, type "Watsonville, CA" into Google Maps. You'll see that Watsonville has three exclaves: one to the south, one to the west, and this one to the north. OK, enough map-nerding. It was already quite hot by the time I got here, and the lack of trees, especially near the lake-view picnic benches, borders on the criminal. What kind of landscape architecture is that, City of Watsonville? It's not the most beautiful lake, so you wouldn't be blocking anyone's views with more trees lakeside. The main part of the park does have quite a few trees, and it looks like a nice city park that gets lots of use. I didn't use the restroom while I was here, but the buildings are in decent shape, and I saw lots of women using the ladies' room, and that's generally a good sign in terms of restroom cleanliness. The parking lot is huge. Besides the lake itself, there's a basketball court, a baseball diamond, plenty of green open space, and a children's playground, I believe. I was surprised by the number of people shore-fishing in the afternoon, although it was a Sunday, so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. I probably would have enjoyed myself and my burrito more if I had eaten it at one of the tables closer to the park entrance, rather than near the water. Oh well. I guess if I ever wake up early enough to make it to Downtown Watsonville in time, I'll bring that breakfast burrito and eat it on the other side of the park, where it's greener and there's more shade.

The man at gate house was wonderful and very helpful we were treated terribly at Alpine and was…read morehesitant to go there but Pinto lake was very welcoming Thank You

Lovely nature center to help learn about the life around us and how we can all live together in…read moreharmony.

I stumbled upon this place yesterday, Sunday around 12:30. I had a 8yo boy who really enjoyed it…read more Unfortunately for us our time was limited but the ladies who were working in the center were very friendly and engaging. The place is packed with a lot to check out but if you take your time to really enjoy process everything, its an awesome way to educate and be entertained. They had kids crafts too & guided nature walks.

After the Santa Cruz course was too busy, we drove a little extra to visit Pinto Lake, and we were…read morenot disappointed! This is an eighteen-basket course that wraps around a large area. Many of the holes have A/B/C baskets depending on your desired challenge level. The Course: Overall, the courses are pretty long. Most of the shorter holes come in at 300ft (A), but there is a long one with 500ftA/1000ftB/1200ftC. Early and late baskets are in the nice shaded woods. The middle baskets (8-12, including the 1200ft hole) are in a big open field, so you will want sun protection. The course wraps around near the lake so that you can have a great view of the water and kayakers, but not so close that there's any risk of tossing your disk into the lake. The course is well-marked with signs pointing toward the next area. Mostly well groomed, some of the field needed mowing. Be careful of stickers/burrs in tall grass. Amenities: There were bathrooms, but they were closed when we visited, likely covid-related closure. Parking lot for Pinto Lake was decently sized and no fees for parking.

The first quarter of the course is pretty technical but then opens up to just throwing bombs for…read morethe about a third of the course. The final part of the course is pretty easy and not too technical but still fun. One thing to watch out for is the poison oak, a week later and I'm just getting over it. There are a couple of holes that you'll have to search for because it's not too clear where they are at but if you have a disk golf app on your smart phone it will lead you to the next hole. Most of the course is around 300 plus feet but there are some holes that are over 500 feet or longer. All open and nothing but a strong arm. The other players on the course are friendly and will direct you in the directions you'll need to go. They'll even help find the disk if thrown into the rough. What is nice about this course is it isn't as busy as the other courses around the area.

This park has swings, a climbing structure, an immense amount of grass to run wild and free…read more It has 2 sections: a baby section and a section for older kids. It doesn't have bathrooms or a parking lot. It does have picnic tables and a basketball court. There were people here with their dogs. It's a quiet area. In fact, a car drove up, parked on the street, sat there for a few minutes, then threw out 2 cans of alcohol out of their window.

everytime my wife and I have gone its been pretty quiet, so we let our dog run around freelyread more

This is such a hidden gem- close to Santa Cruz. Quiet beach - surrounded by scenic views. If you're…read morelooking for a hidden beach for surfing or just hanging out that isn't overly crowded- this is a great spot.

Fair pricing, efficient tree trimming and trunk removal. Started on time and completed the job in a…read moretimely fashion. The employees practiced safety during the work.