There was a free event, Ocean Fest, taking place here this past Saturday. Food trucks, merchandise…read morevendors selling beach art and ocean-themed products, and the Cement Ship band playing live music for a small crowd. A visitor center & park store on site, as well as picnic areas with plenty of seating, and ample restrooms too. The beach was a bit smellier than the others I normally visit, but worth it for the beautiful peaceful views and gentle waves of the water. Small rocks and debris were scattered throughout the powdery sand but not excessive, along with logs and bonfire remains. The ruins of the SS Palo Alto ship, a piece of history, sitting not too far from the shore, a unique feature at this park. Parking cost was $10 (receipt good at other state parks and beaches in the county too), but that's ten dollars more than I think it's worth, as besides partial views of the SS Palo Alto, nothing really stood out that I couldn't get from somewhere else that doesn't charge a parking fee.

My personal favorite beach in the Santa Cruz region. Located in Aptos. It is not only one of the…read moreeasiest beaches to access, it is typically quiet and uncrowded. That being said all Santa Cruz beaches are packed during holidays and summertime. Being a State park/beach, there is a $10 vehicle fee to enter. That seems reasonable given the amenities available once you arrive. Public parking including handicap spots, clean and maintained restrooms, some picnic tables and an easy, flat walking path along the ocean front in both directions. Walking towards the east you can, in a relatively short time, come upon a couple of nice places to grab something to eat or drink. You will not find this perk in other state parks. So if you do not have your picnic basket packed just know there are options if you get hungry. Unfortunately the long time walking/fishing pier that existed as long as I can remember is no longer. After a couple of recent destructive winter storms it was destroyed. However, the remains of the historical WWI-era, Palo Alto "cement" ship is still partially visible and continues to be the home for hundreds of pelicans and shore birds coming and going. Amusing to watch. A Museum/gift shop is also located at Seacliff State Beach. Free. It is absolutely worth visiting for both adults and kids. Volunteers who manage the museum are dedicated, enthusiastic and well-informed. Interesting information/photos about the "cement" ship too. Come 5 p.m., the locals and their dogs are exercising, running, and walking along the ocean front. However they are not driving in they are taking the hard way to the beach. The beautiful, very long, staircase you can walk down to the beach if you have the legs and breath to make it. It is amazing to watch some of them use this staircase as an exercise tool. Running up and down. Whew! And after a nice day at the beach there is yummy Marianne's Ice Cream shop and/or the famous and delicious Manuel's Mexican Restaurant waiting for you after you exit the park. Both have been delighting locals and tourists forever. Or... stay for the stunning sunset at Seacliff. You will not be disappointed.

We just spent the weekend at Beach RV for our anniversary. It is a hidden gem! A peaceful inlet is…read morevisible from Monterey Bay and there are beaches within walking distance. The park is small, quiet, and well-maintained, and the managers are friendly and helpful. A wonderful Mexican restaurant with reasonable prices and delicious food is a block away. There is also a BBQ nearby. We will definitely visit again!

Our site was so tiny, barely even room for our table outside. Sites have no porch while others…read morehave huge ones. They sure made it able to make money while you're uncomfortable. I'd rather stay at a rest stop for the price. No thank you, never again. So expensive and for what??

Excellent customer service, once I got someone on the phone. The website was hijacked by a spam…read moresite, so ignore the website & call them. It is mostly for long-term guests, and it had a waiting list when I talked to them because it was the busy season. I drove through the property and really liked it. I changed plans & didn't buy a 5th-wheel travel trailer now, but when I do, I will buy it off-season & be sure to stay at Santa Vida.

We stayed here for five days. This park is mainly for long-term guests, but I will say the people…read morewho live here are so kind and helped us get our trailer situated as the spot we were given was difficult to park in (off a hill). Everyone was very friendly. Not many amenities, but we had our full hook-ups and use of the bathroom facilities which is really all we needed as we were out most of the time. The park is super close to downtown which was a plus. We had issues with our power as we had to convert from 50 to 30amp, but I think our rig was just too powerful which is not the parks fault. Everything else was great! We were told there is a cool hiking trail and creek but we did not experience that for ourselves. Definitely a cute little spot to stay close to town!

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.

Wonderful stay at KOA Holiday Campground!…read more We had a fantastic experience at this KOA Holiday campground. The entire place was very clean and well maintained, which we really appreciated. The pool was spotless, and the jacuzzi was warm and relaxing after a long day. What we loved most is that there are so many activities for kids. It's a great place for families -- children have plenty to do and never get bored. The campground is organized, friendly, and comfortable. Everything felt safe and welcoming. We enjoyed our stay so much that we definitely plan to come back again!

Loved this campsite Have not visited in over 30 years and…read morethe improvements were noticeable and well maintained.

TLDR: nestled right in Scotts Valley, basically in the middle of a suburb, near markets and…read morerestaurants, yet provides tranquility. Spots are asphalt, close together but there's a nice wooden barrier between spots to provide some privacy. Our neighbors were talking until 3:00 a.m. and we could hear them so we told them to quiet doen. But honestly this happens so frequently at many campsites so I'm not upset. The highlight is the pool and the hot tub. Thank you so much to the owners and managers who actually heat both of these to a comfortable temperature. It seems like this is so rare these days. The pool is about 80 degrees. And the hot tub was piping! Loved it. The rec room is fun too. The kids loved air hockey, connect four, and the arcade game with hundreds of options. This place is near some of the best Cambodian and Thai food we've had (Jia Tella). And a very short drive to a safe way and nob Hill market. Very nice stay.

My wife and I recently stayed at "Santa Cruz Ranch RV Resort" in Scotts Valley, CA for the first…read moretime and we must say we enjoyed our stay. The design of the sites were well thought out (even though the asphalt pads were a bit small) there was still plenty of room between the sites and easy access to the Full Hookups. The property was very clean, well manicured landscaping, and the amenities, i.e., Laundry Room, had plenty of machines that were both clean and well maintained. In addition to the excellent property features, we were equally impressed with the property manager, Sjarifah. She was very friendly, professional, and displayed excellent customer service skills, all while multitasking (working the office and facility grounds). Sjarifah is definitely an asset to the park and represents company well. In fact, I made it a point to thank her before our departure for her hard work, professionalism and overall kindness. Sjarifah is Definitely The Gold Standard of Customer Service. If we were to visit the Santa Cruz area again and needed a resort to lodge at, we would definitely choose the Santa Cruz Ranch RV Resort.

I really love KOA campgrounds. This one is a hidden little spot between Monterey and Santa Cruz,…read moreless than a 1/2 hour drive to each. Really nice staff, very clean and safe. The spots are very close to each other, but this is a small campground, maybe 50 spots. The KOA person guided us into our spot, made it easy because if it was just me and the wife... well you know! Moss landing is an old fishing town, very small, abut very historical and interesting to walk around. The ocean beach is walking distance from the campground. I will return to this place, very safe and very secluded. Nice clean laundry room, landscaping is beautiful, location is in a very secluded area in the farming community. Very tight spots, you are really close to your neighbor. But that's OK, this is a place you stay at, and go out during the day to see the sites around the area. There is no stores or restaurants in the area. Only one deli (which is really good but only open to 3pm). So you will need to have food and supply with you.

I am a big fan of KOA and have stayed at all of the three levels that I thought they had up till…read morenow. This one is a small KOA - the manager tells me it's the first KOAExpress. The other levels, journey, destination and resort are increasingly fancy, but generally have some kind of market, a cafe or restaurant, pools, jacuzzis and the like - more so at the higher levels. Well, this one was a fraction of the size of most of those. it was very well kept, nice level paved sites, excellent bathrooms - two full bathrooms, where you get your own toilet, sink and shower and door It's essentially located right in the harbor, there's a gate that will get you to the docks. Including all the whale watching boats . A bunch of sea lions were my neighbors on a rock on the other side of the fence. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance as well, so that makes up for not having one on site

This park is a great way to visit Santa Cruz! Yes, it is basically a parking lot with hook ups, no…read morewifi and no bathrooms or showers. But the location is great, and it has the best price in all of Santa Cruz. Also, it's right on the harbor so you are looking out at the boats! It's an easy drive to anywhere you want to visit in the area. It felt very safe to me. So many of the rv parks in SR charge as much as a hotel room, which makes no sense to me. I was really happy to find this place. I will definitely come here again.

Very quiet. It is impressive with the ramps are easy to access . I have a mobility master and I was…read moreable to drive almost anywhere and go into the city.

This was our second stay here and one of our favorite places. There's nothing like camping in the…read moremiddle of a redwood forest yet be 15-20 minutes from the beach. Very family oriented as lots of kids on scooters having the time of their lives. Even though lots of kids were there, the place is still very peaceful and quiet. There's is a nice clubhouse with a kitchen area, sofa and games such as fooseball and shuffleboard. Several board games as well. The deck has plenty of tables for eating or just hanging out. The San Lorenzo river is right there and just beautiful. Easy to walk down to the river. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. I love their little store- it has the right amount of miniature basics and there is also ice cream pints and the most delicious ice cream sandwiches. The other bonus is that you can burn a real wood fire at night! Will definitely keep coming back!

Site 16 was a great site- quiet and felt like in the middle of nature. Everyone in the office was…read moregreat and helpful. Loved the ambiance of the resort. Definitely will be back