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.

Great beach with incredible views, the campground was kinda forgettable though. Campsites were not…read morevery cozy or campy , no shade and not very flat. Bathrooms and showers were decent , just felt like our camp loop was kinda blah. Was windy and we were up on the hill and exposed so we didn't do a campfire. I've stayed at a lot of beach campsites and Sunset just didn't really hit the mark. 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive to beach so you aren't very close to the beach. Most of the sites were exposed so no real privacy to be had, not a bad place to stay or unpleasant but we stayed one night and it was easy to leave, when you stay at an awesome campground it's hard to leave and you want more and we definitely didn't have that feeling . A decent place to crash for a night passing through......but we probably would skip it next time!

Spent an amazing day in May at sunset beach. The weather was breezy and warm and surprisingly very…read morelittle traffic at this beautiful beach. There is plenty of space to spread out for bbqing, fire pit, sunning, frolicking in the sand with no disturbance. Super clean beach, and clean restrooms. Parking day pass for a $10. If you enjoy Northern California state parks, an annual pass is $125.

Series of gravel walking trails that line the Watsonville Wetlands throughout town. Kind of a…read morehidden gem, I really don't see a whole lot of people out there, but they're such a great resource. Most of the access points aren't really obvious from the road, but the website has a decent map. Most of the trails are pretty much flat, and have benches and plaques telling you about the slough. Great for all skill levels. Because of the way the city is laid out, most people never see (or may not even know of) the sloughs. The trails are a great way to experience them. Some of the trails get a little slushy after it rains, so bring worthy shoes. Remember to pack your trash and respect the landscape. :-)

$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!

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

What may be just another ho-hum day at the beach to you is often the best day of their lives to…read moreothers. I don't know why exactly but I like helping special needs kids (sometimes, an adult or two). The smiles are all the reward one could ask for in giving up a little time to help make these young lives enjoy our great outdoors. And we're so lucky to live in Southern California with year-round beaches to play on. The Best Day Foundation (http://www.bestdayfoundation.org/) enables children with special needs to build confidence and self-esteem through safe, fun adventure activities that expand their potential and connect them with diverse populations in their community. Volunteers offer activities including surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, stand-up paddling and snow sports. I'm no skier so I stay on the shore. This organization cannot survive without donor support and volunteer staffing. All of their activities are provided at no cost to any parent, child or participating organization. They're unique in providing activities for children with special needs from 4 to 24 with any physical or developmental challenge including: Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, spinal cord injuries, cancer, sight or hearing impairments, and more. Not only does the Best Day Foundation make a difference in a child's life by giving them confidence to try new experiences, these programs also significantly impact the parents. "The look of freedom in his eyes is one I will remember forever..." Ian's mom, Rena. Parents can relax for a spell and know their loved ones are in good hands, or paws, as the case may be. Quite often at these special needs events, you might see a beautiful dog named Ricochet. He's a friendly girl (yes, Ricochet is a female) golden retriever and loves attention. Find her at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surfdogricochet.com%2FWho%2520is%2520Surf%2520Dog%2520Ricochet.htm&rct=j&q=surf%20dog%20ricochet&ei=N0WrTYe6O4fgiALUg6DvDA&usg=AFQjCNFKldzyApJGPasPj56RSTPHhGyNwg&cad=rja Do you know a child or group of children who might like to participate? Would you like to earn some priceless smiles? Contact them or learn more on the website. Ph. (800) 309-2815; info@bestdayfoundation.org

Some days you realize that all is in fact good in the world, and maybe you should get off your…read moreselfish narcissistic behind and give back a little. More often then not, when these days happen, I find myself up to my eye lids in saltwater, covered in neoprene trying to make it a Best Day for someone. Best Day Foundation is one of a handful of organizations which looks to encourage and celebrate the lives of children with special needs through action sports type activities. Not every parent is a born water woman or man, but that shouldn't mean that their child must go through life never to feel the incredible sensation of saltwater in their face and sand between their toes. Surfing, boogie boarding, kayaking... Best Day works to provide the best possible water mentors to make it the best day under the sun. You don't have to be a water person to volunteer. And I highly recommend it. It's the best thing you will ever do with a few hours of your time, I promise. If your child has special needs, please sign them up. I would love to see more happy smiling faces at the next Best Day!

My wife and I have been camping at Mt. Madonna for about 3 or 4 years and our experience has been…read morevery good. I want to take time to commend Monica, who works at the entrance kiosk at Mt Madonna campground. Monica is one of the most pleasant people I have ever dealt with. She also is one of the most professional and helpful people as well. Monica went above and beyond to assist us in making sure we had the correct information for our campsite. She had to walk to our campsite because she did not have a county vehicle to use. She was constantly working to make sure all information was up to date for all campsites. I know that Monica is a relatively new employee and she loves what she does. I think she has a tremendous future with Santa Clara County Parks and hope she moves up the ranks quickly. Thank you Monica.