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.

This beach stretches out wide with a ship wreck on one end & nice waves. There are bathrooms &…read moreshowers along the parking lots, life guard posts & lots of families having a good time. BBQing is allowed but no glass bottles or alcohol. Makes sense. It's great place for the babies if you're worried about the larger waves that come in!

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.

Beautiful forest with creeks, huge trees and banana slugs. Cool and shady. Many trails are…read morerelatively easy even if you're tired like I was. We've actually been here twice and enjoyed both times.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Such a great spot with a beautiful viewpoint for surfers. Limited spot mainly for surfing…read moreactivities. The stairs that lead down to the beach are perfect for surfers to easily get to the water. Today, they hosted a youth surfing competition, which was awesome to watch -- so much talent! The vibe is laid-back and the view of the ocean is just stunning. Whether you're a surfer or just enjoying the sights, it's a fantastic place to hang out. Careful of the sneaker waves though!

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!