Off the Marks…read more 10k-acre State Park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is named after the mother of the family who donated the land to the state, and was a passionate nature lover. The Good: *Over forty(!) miles of hiking trails, that range from easy to strenuous. *Bikes ok (check maps & signage for appropriate trails) *Picnic tables in the parking lot and along certain trails (check map) *Restrooms in parking lot *Camping (reservations required check website) *Leashed dogs allowed along certain trails (check website, maps, and/or signage) *Another great place to see Redwoods *This park was at the epicenter of the 6.9 (cackle) '89 Loma Prieta earthquake *Waterfalls! The Meh: *$8 entry fee The Ugly: *While there's a lot of Redwoods here, they're mostly second- and third-growth, with only a scant few old-growth. Which isn't a knock on the park but a realization of how badly this area was forested at one time. Conclusion: Great place for a hike and see some Redwoods!

What a beautiful and wonderful day! Very peaceful trail. The redwoods are incredible. Definitely…read morerecommend. Nothing beats nature!

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.

Stopped off after a beach visit nearby. This looks like a great neighborhood overall and this park…read moreadds to it. There are incredible views of the ocean and the hills from here. The park itself is tiny and there is a skate park as well and I am sure this is super popular with the neighbors. Was nice to see families hanging out here on a Saturday morning.

What is this neighborhood park? So clean and new…read moreLet's check it out before it gets dark! This was way before COVID19 When the playground was still open And together kids were seen None of them had Genotropin Sliding, climbing, running, jumping Kids playing with other kids Wasn't the time for social distancing They couldn't shut their lids! A skating park nearby Many kids rolling and laughing I heard a baby cry Dinner time and I'm done photographing So we had to say bye!

Found this park by accident. It's a nice small park with some picnic tables and a community…read morecenter. This park allows dogs and has a decent grass area for dogs to run around and play. The park is tucked away from major road, so it's nice to let the dog run around without worrying about cars. If there's an event going on, parking could be a challenge. Remove one star for the bathroom that's super old and dirty.

First time I've been here , and it so peaceful and beautiful !!! This is for sure my favorite place…read morethat I shared with family .

Wow! We went to Leo's Haven at Chanticleer Park and it's amazing. I wish this park was closer to…read morehome. It was just built in 2020 so everything is in great condition. It was built in partnership with Shane's Inspiration (if you've been to Griffith Park, it's the same organization). So, many of the park features are universally accessible. The playground area is spacious and a wonderful safe space for children. There are some climbing areas and slides for toddler age but the larger playground is great for preschool-elementary age. There isn't a ton of shade so bring hats and sunscreen! There are some benches scattered around the park and a few tables outside of the gated area. There is a private lot and street parking. They have bathrooms and they are fairly clean!

This is a super nice new neighborhood park. Really liked the garden picnic area. Plenty of parking…read more Just wish it had some trees/shade.

Don't come here for a kids birthday party without a reservation. They do not have public picnic…read moretables (mostly on weekends), when they are "reserved". Pretty ridiculous to have zero public tables at a public park

Really nice park with a lot of space. It is right by a school. There is a big playground for the…read morekids. If you head up the stairs, there is a huge field with a large running track around it which worked out well for me. BTW, what's the scoop with the blue balls all around, someone has a sense of humor!

Seacliff State Beach is a nice and chill beach in Aptos. We visited b/c we like the ocean and need…read moreto get away from the drab of the valley every once in awhile, haha. I enjoyed seeing the ocean and my kids love playing on the beach, but I wanted to highlight the Visitor Center. So Seacliff State Beach has a nice little visitor center/museum, it's small, but it's actually full of great info, and it's free. It gave me a whole new appreciation for that boat wreck (the SS Palo Alto) at the end of the dilapidated pier out there right on the beach. There was a ton of historical artifacts, documents, and pictures all providing great info on what happened, why, and how it all went down w/the SS Palo Alto. They even had a video about S.S. Palo Alto and you can look at it through the telescope. Pretty cool stuff. There were also excellent exhibits on the geology and wildlife in the Monterey Bay ecosystem in general and at Sea Cliff Beach in particular. So much to learn from this little place, my kids had a blast b/c a lot of the small exhibits were hands on. They also got a kick out of the "stuffed animals" i.e. the taxidermy of local bird which were well done and really allowed for literal close-up looks at the birds in this marine region. Neat for those of us who like science generally and marine biology and animals specifically. Finally, there's a gift shop in there too, if you want to pick up a book about this region, some souvenirs, or send a friend a postcard from your trip here and the prices were all reasonable. People who worked here were friendly, informative, and helpful. We'll plan to visit again, hopefully soon.

What a beautiful magical beach with a ship wreck peeking out of the ocean not to far from the…read moreshoreline. Plenty of beautiful rocks and sea glass. My girlfriend found two fossilized great white shark teeth so that is cool and she found a natural sea marble just beautiful. Stayed for the sunset it was amazing. You have to come. Plenty of parking it was a 10$ fee but worth every dollar. There are restrooms. And shower

It's awesome to have available space for dogs to play off leash. I brought my pups for the first…read moretime. Other dog owners were very welcoming. It was a great morning!

Review is for the BMX pump track. Track is good for all levels, but ideal for advanced riders. A…read morelittle tight for the intermediate riders, but still fun. No crowds. A plethora of parking. Cell service is spotty. I would come here, then head to Harvey West to ride. I would say the 3rd best pump track in Santa Cruz for the intermediate rider. Take your dog since the dog park looks killer and is just a across the parking lot. Bathrooms to the South near the baseball fields.

Had a little picnic here and it's really a great little park. There's four picnic tables and…read moreseveral trees that offer some shade. We pretty much had it to ourselves. Would say it's best for people who live close by because there's no bathrooms. But that is probably also why it was nice and quiet and we had no problems getting a table. I would caution to keep an eye out for dog poo though because I stepped in some. After spending a few hours there we noticed that people really only came there to walk their dogs so it's pretty much a dog park.

When you want to play a game 0r take care of the best thing for you to get something done walking…read morethe dog good to get fresh air or water your self it's the place to go,nice mellow,

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.

One of my favorite beaches and campgrounds. Gets very narrow when the tide is in. Has interesting…read morefossil cliffs on the western end. Waves are gentle and relatively safe. Not the most accessible, however. Very steep concrete steps at one end, lower steps at the other, both in moderate disrepair. Wildlife includes sea otters, sea lions, various seabirds. Staff at the kiosk were friendly, helpful, and welcoming.