This is our go to beach spot. This place can get crowded on a sunny, hot summer day, but you still…read moreget to enjoy your personal space. For your typical NorCal beach, this water is chilly. This does not deter us to enjoy our time here and swim. The last year's storm damaged a lot of the places around here including this one. The pier that leads to the sunken concrete ship was swept away by the huge waves. Some bathroom stalls along got damaged as well, but they are slowly renovating everything back. There are still remnants of washed logs and woods in here, but you can still enjoy the sand. This place is not hidden, but if you're not familiar with this place, it can be hard to find it. The parking area is small so it tend to be very hard to find a space to park here. However, there are still plenty of surrounding areas to park in and can be a bit of a walk. I can easily spend the whole day here enjoying the view, the sand and the water. Make sure to do your part and clean up after yourself.

Awesome beach to take your littles to:…read more There are bathrooms and sinks (but no soap, so remember to bring your own or hand sanitizer!). The parking lot is right next to the beach, so not a far walk which is great if you're carrying a ton of stuff (which you probably are if you're bringing kiddos). There is usually a pool/small body of water separate from the waves/shore which is fantastic if you want to chill and feel relatively unstressed and able to lean back and let your kid(s) play in water without needing to be right there next to them.

5-STARS FOR SEACLIFF STATE BEACH! Home from our beach day…read moredate, and I have to say... this beach was BEACHING! Today was exactly what we needed--relaxing, mood-boosting, peaceful, and simply enjoyable. Sometimes a day by the ocean really does feel like a reset button for the soul. We arrived early, chose our spot wisely, and settled in for the day. The weather was absolutely perfect! The waves were crashing and hugging the sand like a long-lost friend. The birds were birding (including one beautiful little feathered friend whose name I couldn't remember--and unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture either ‍). The dogs were out there pupping around in the water, happily retrieving balls and sticks their humans tossed for them. And the kids were everywhere--playing, splashing, laughing, and having the absolute BEST time in the sun. One of the things I really appreciate about Seacliff State Beach is how accessible and accommodating it is. Beach accessibility Handicap parking available Clean restrooms Working showers Clean changing rooms Covered picnic areas Pet-friendly amenities, including dog bowls with clean, fresh water And the parking is very reasonable at $10 for the day, with seniors receiving $1 off. That's a pretty great deal for spending an entire day at the beach! We even got lucky enough to see dolphins swimming by! We also spotted a healthy seal enjoying the water. Unfortunately, we did see another seal on the beach that appeared very lethargic and remained there for much of the day. That part was heartbreaking to see. I sincerely hope someone was able to get the appropriate wildlife professionals involved. And then there was our little tent adventure. Packing it up was easy enough... until we tried getting it back into its bag with the wind fighting us every step of the way! So we decided to bring it home and fold it back up in the garage where Mother Nature couldn't interfere with our packing skills. After a full day of sunshine, fresh ocean air, good food, beautiful scenery, wildlife, and just enjoying each other's company, we came home feeling relaxed, refreshed, and grateful. And if you know the area, Seacliff State Beach is also conveniently close to some great local spots, including Manuel's Restaurant, Marianna's Ice Cream Parlor, and Snow White's, just to name a few. WOULD ABSOLUTELY VISIT AGAIN! Seacliff State Beach checked all the boxes for us: accessibility, amenities, family-friendly fun, pet-friendly spaces, beautiful scenery, and a perfect place to spend a relaxing day by the ocean. The beach was beaching.The birds were birding.The waves were waving.The dogs were pupping.And we were just grateful to be there. Sometimes you don't need anything fancy. Just a beach, a picnic, someone you love, and a beautiful day. Until the next beach day...

I saw pictures of Seacliff State Beach online and wanted to check it out. I drove out there and it…read morewas pretty crowded. Parking is $10 but if you come late in the day, there's no parking in the lower lot. I parked in the upper lot and walked down the long step of stairs. It wasn't too bad. The view was incredible especially with the sunken ship. It used to be a restaurant and entertainment venue. However, the pier leading to the ship is long gone. There is a visitor's center where you can buy gifts and also learn the history about Seacliff State Beach and also look through a telescope to see the sunken ship much better. The beach was very packed and if you're going there to relax and swim, it's the best place to do so. There's not much to do around. There's no restaurants or shops next to the beach but that's fine because it keeps it natural. There was still a lot of damage to the parking lots and parts of the beach from previous floods and storm damage. There are plenty of bathrooms along the beach but bring your own soap and toilet paper because there isn't any. Overall, it was a nice beach and good place to relax and frolic in the sand and water.

$10 entrance fee to relax on the beach with a clean bathroom. Bring blankets, chairs, and cooler to…read morespread out, this beach is not crowded. We listened to the quiet of the ocean waves and enjoyed lunch and drinks.

Really great beach. Fee is $10 per car and dogs are allowed, on leash and please pick up poop! It's…read morea nice long stretch of beach that has a lifeguard tower, but wasn't managed while we visited during the week. We were able to see whales and dolphins on our visit. The parking lot sits on top of cliff with stairs that walk down to the beach. Depending on your physical abilities this can be deficient for some, however not impossible. There are also bathrooms in the parking area. Great views from parking lot!

Since I am one of the folks that takes care of this little slice of heaven, here is some…read moreinformation about the spot. It is an overlook of Seacliff State Beach. You cannot reach Seacliff State Beach from the Mini Park. There is a trail nearby between Seacliff and Aptos Creek you can use to reach the beach. It is called the Moosehead trail and there is a dirt parking lot next to it so you can leave your car. The mini park has benches where you can sit and enjoy your coffee or your meal. During the Covid beach closures this area became very popular with families who came to picnic in their pick up trucks and watch the sunset. It is very very popular at sunset. There are no trash cans. Please pick up after yourself and leave it the way you found it. The neighbors clean up after visitors so anything you can do to help is most appreciated. Same with cigarette butts. Many visitors stay in their car to eat or conduct business and enjoy the view. It is a great place to pull over and use your phone or check the surf. Although the property straddles Seacliff State Beach and the County right of way, the Seacliff Improvement Association built the park in the 1970s and maintains it. We often receive donations from grateful visitors while we're cleaning the park. We are so grateful! If you are interested in helping support our work here, you can make a donation to our PayPal link: www.seacliffimprovement.org Please make a note that your donation is for the mini park and we will use it to continue beautifying it. Enjoy!

Overlooking the Monterey Bay, SeaCliff State Beach and the Cement Ship this mini park has to have…read moreone of the best views in the area. The city of Monterey to the South and Capitola to the North. Seagulls and pelicans floating by while dolphins, sea otters and seals swim just off shore. People sit in their car, walk along the side walk or sit on the bench to take in the view or people watch. I head their to see what the waves look like, if the tide is in or out and to see how the fishing off the pier looks. This is the spot to sit and lookout onto the wonderful world of Monterey Bay Area and the ocean.

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.

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

Go on a weekday; the parking areas fill up quickly on weekends. It's $8 to park, and it's best to…read morebring exact change. The redwoods are not as magestic as the ones at Henry Cowell, but it's just as relaxing. There are a lot of loop trails around the ranger station. You can hike next to the stream going north, and cross at various points. You will find bridges, as well as clusters of rocks that are crossable. There is poison ivy that intrudes into the pathway; take precautions. Also treat your shoes with tick-repellent.

First time hiking here but it's was worth the $8 entrance fee. Sure the waterfall wasn't as big as…read morewe hope for but still enjoyed it ! It's peaceful and the trails were well marked, will definitely come back if we are vacation down that area

Somewhat selective enforcement of camping rules. As a result our camping trip ended before it even…read morebegan. So last year my wife was diagnosed with cancer, so this year we decided to make the annual group camping trip a little easier by renting an rv. We rented a camper and arranged to have it dropped off to the campground, something the company had done regularly in the past. Unfortunately, a few weeks earlier, New Brighton started somewhat inconsistently requiring tow vehicles to be present at the campground at all times. I say inconsistent as it seems there are many campers at sites without tow vehicles present, and I am not sure why employees of the RV company we used, Alfredo and Roberto, had the lady at the gate so upset with them when so many other local campers seemed to have no issues. This afternoon, when Roberto was trying to drop off our camper at our campsite, she got so upset she threatened to call the police on him. I have some theories as to what might motivate the inconsistent treatment of visitors but I won't speculate openly. At any rate, with the camper denied entry, we dropped off our food at the campsite, which looked well maintained, and locked it in the generously sized bear locker for our friends before regrettably heading home - our weekend trip ending before it started. If you plan to camp here you should either plan to have your tow vehicle never leave, bring a drivable RV, or hey, maybe just not get the rules enforced on you because you were luckier than Alfredo or Roberto.

Beautiful state beach for either spending the day or overnight in one of the campsites!…read more We stopped in on a Sunday around 1pm and wasn't crowded at all. Since we paid $10 at Seacliff state beach a few miles away it was free to enter with our receipt. We asked about the overnight camp sites and were told book in advance on www.parks.ca.gov. They did have some open sites although premium ocean view sites which I believe have hookups go quickly as are only around 9 of those. They are on the top of a tall bluff so do not have easy access to the beach. The beach is a further walk or drive to a separate area of the park. The beach area is pretty and would be a chill spot to enjoy the afternoon away from a ton of people. We enjoyed our time here.

I did the sunrise special in May of 2021. Loved it! It was very organized, well planned and…read morebeautiful. I did the trip alone and felt completely safe and comfortable the entire time. Thank you Slow Adventure!

Fantastically organized and worth every penny! Walked from Santa Cruz to close to Monterey --…read morefollowed the guide's very detailed (but not overly so) book as we went and enjoyed many near deserted miles of lush and fabulous coastline -- so many of these beaches we probably wouldn't visit otherwise. Every detail was thought of and it was such a delight to not worry about luggage transfers and have our car nicely waiting for us at the end. Our guide (that we could call) was a big help, too. It was a very pleasant surprise that our accommodations were consistently quite luxurious, too. Love this company and can't wait to come back again next summer!

Best views in Santa Cruz!!!! Hit the pleasure point market for awesome breakfast burritos…read more Sunsets are the bomb from the beach just past the market at the end of Rockview Drive. Shark eyes will see seals, sea otters and my favorite: dolphins!

Pleasure Point, on the northern Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County, California, is a world-renowned…read moresurf location, traditionally defined as the area along the coast from 41st Ave to Moran Lagoon, up 30th Ave to Portola and over to 41st Ave down to the sea at the "Hook". It has a firmly rooted surf culture. We regularly spend time in the Pleasure Point area renting vacation houses there in June. We recently got back from renting a property right on East Cliff named, "The Cabin." Great rental with an awesome view of the Bay and surfers. We enjoy seeing all the locals and tourists walk, ride their e-bikes, or surf there. It's location is near Capitola, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk , and many local restaurants, bars, coffee spots you'd expect. They have an annual neighborhood festival there every June also that's very fun to attend. Over 100 vendors sell arts, crafts, local services, food and beverages. They have a kids zone, beer garden and local bands perform a variety of styles of music on two stages including Americana, Blues, Rock, Reggae and Surf Music. Pleasure Point is a great area!

April 18-21, 2025…read more Thought I'd update my review, since it's been almost 8 years! since my prior review. We stayed in one of the sites with water and electricity. I believe there are only 10 or 11 sites with hookups; the rest have no hookups. Even though they don't have hookups, I prefer the sites on the bluff overlooking the ocean, but those are almost impossible to get these days. It's competitive out there when trying to make reservations. We were very happy with our large grassy site with beautiful trees and lots of birds. The sites at this campground are a nice size; it's great to have your own space. Unfortunately, our luck was that there were several big groups of campers here together, and they tended to gather at the campsite near ours. Lots of kids, scooters, bikes, barking dogs, etc. Just families enjoying each other, but it was rather lively. The campground seemed like a different world after these groups departed. Peaceful, even. There is a bit of road noise that you can hear from some of the sites depending on their location; but at night it is quiet enough to hear the owls hoot. There are two trails down to the beach; the one that was closed on my prior visits was open. It's quite a climb, but worth every step. Dog-friendly beaches are always a huge plus in my book. Also a plus is that there are four dump stations ($10). I'll definitely come back--I'll keep trying; someday I might actually get one of those premium sites on the bluff again. Note of caution - if you have a tall rig, some of the trees on the road to the campsites were in need of trimming, so you need to watch carefully. Easy does it. Also, the garbage trucks come through at 6:00 in the morning. Really? At a campground? ....... So if you like to sleep in...forget it.

Great beach camping spot in the Santa cruz county. Easy beach access, cute trails around to walk…read more You are able to walk into capital village which is a great spot. Bathrooms are pretty clean. They have dry spots and full hook ups as well!