Palm Beach State Park seems to be part of Sunset Beach, but this area is dog-friendly. There is a…read moreparking lot, but also free spaces on the road. It's a short walk to the beach. On the day we went, there were tons of jelly fish washed up on the wet sand, so I had to be careful of where our dog, Zoey, walked. In any case, she had a great time there, so I'm very glad we went.

Secluded beach that you access by driving through the mostly agricultural area of…read moreWatsonville/Pajaro. Near Pajaro dunes resort. The park may be good for a quiet and semi private picnic but amenities are limited. From the parks website: FEES - There is a $10 vehicle day-use fee. [Regular Sized Auto: $10 (Senior $9, age 62 or older); OCEAN SAFETY - dangerous rip currents, frigid water and deep offshore dropoffs make surfing and swimming hazardous for any but the most experienced surfers. ALCOHOL is not permitted on the beach or in the day-use area.

I had never been to Twin Lakes State Beach before and it did not disappoint! We arrived around…read more1045am and we were able to find parking on the street but it was definitely busy and full. There are two ways to get to the sand...a set of stairs or this low grade slope that is sand. I recommend taking the stairs especially if you have a wagon, it was very hard to pull my wagon through the low grade slope sand. It would have been easier to unload and carry things down the stairs and then load the wagon back up. I will say my favorite part of this beach was watching the sail boats launch! The beach was clean from any trash and also offered bathrooms and outdoor showers. Will definitely come back to this beach! Highly recommend!

A little less crowded compared to nearby areas. We were fortunate to find a closer parking in front…read moreof a resident home who happened to be out there and allowed us to park so kind of him. They have clean decent porta potty, change room and to rinse off area which is a huge plus especially if you have little ones.

This is one of the main beaches in SC, right by the wharf. Note that parking is very limited and it…read moregets beeezeee, like super busy. Best to come early in the day and claim some space before it gets overrun. The views are amazing and the water is perfect ,but I prefer some of the other beaches that are not as busy.

I really like how the beach is next to the Boardwalk. It's very convenient for people who want to…read morecome here after riding in different attractions, playing arcade, eating, and doing other activities. I usually walk around back and forth and being close to the ocean. The water is pretty much cold though and I think it builds a better experience for families especially children. I think they have volleyball courts there since I've seen people play in these courts. Coming here is very relaxing especially if you feel the need to revisit nature and relieve yourself.

I used to think this was a secret beach but it's become a lot more popular and for good reason,…read moreit's the best beach around! I LOVE THIS BEACH. I've spent all day at it many times, it's a great place to get away for the day. There is a long stretch of parking along the side of the road and you walk down to the beach. The small path down to the beach is adventurous, tough for the uncoordinated but short. Still, only bring what you can carry because it will be hard to bring stuff up and down. The main beach is big, tons of space for activities but can get a bit crowded quickly. My favorite spot to go to is off to the left. You have to go under the arch and to another beach much longer than the first one. You will want to come back over before the tide is too high or you will have to calculate running back as the tide reseeds.

The only reason this is 4 stars is because of insane parking and lack of accessibility. The parking…read moreis in a dirt lot, and if you turn your car facing the entrance to the beach, it's quite hard to turn around when you're leaving, especially when crowded. You literally have to scale a cliff to get to and from the beach, which is a little difficult if you're hauling things or very difficult if you're physically disabled. Once you're on the beach though, it's gorgeous. Plenty of room to spread out, and the waves are super big. The Saturday we went (7/17) it was clear and sunny- perfect weather! Would recommend this beach if you are able-bodied and want to get away from the crowds at Santa Cruz and Capitola.

This checked all my boxes for a great hike: woodsy, water, scenic, peaceful, moderate, posted…read moresigns, and free parking was a bonus. We arrived around 10:15 am on a Thursday, and there were still a few parking spots in their smallish parking lot. I'm sure you'd have to come much earlier on the weekend. There's a map of the various trails. We decided to do a loop of: Fall Creek - S-cape - Ridge trail - back to parking lot. The Fall Creek section was very easy, and you're walking along the creek with a few small waterfalls to admire. A couple of times you cross over the creek, but there are planks to walk on. I couldn't stop taking pictures during this section. There's a bit of elevation when you get to the Ridge trail section, but nothing too bad. The only thing to be cautious of is the abundance of poison oak. There are some narrow paths where the poison oak was spilling over from both sides of the path. TIP: wear long pants. This is a hike that I'd come back to.

#641 #1/25 A very…read moreBeLated review of '23 summer hike... til next visit to a Lusher forest :) Started from Big Ben near Bonny Doon airport to Fall Creek and return. Climb Dry rebirth after the fire Me n this Forest Scenery is an old growth forest with little ground cover other than Redwood sorrels after the fire. Entirely canopied, easy and well kept but a steep trail. Heard owls at the top near Big Ben, a squirrel, few birds and some grasshoppers. Otherwise pretty quiet. Fall Creek had steady water flowing and a tiny waterfall at the time of my visit. Pups are NOT allowed here. Less visited old growth forest as the trail is continuous elevation down to Fall Creek and back up to Big Ben. A couple of crossing to HC Lime Kilns where the lime was used to rebuild SFO post 1906 earthquake and to Lost Empire. Signals were virtually nonexistent and the BBT is NOT marked! I took pictures of the Trail descriptions and maps prior to and that was helpful. Go with someone who is familiar with these trails or download descriptions and good trail mapS. Felton Empire Rd runs through it. There is NO parking lot or any signs to per se. Once you find the trail, you can park on the shoulder. Pro tip: It's MUCH easier to find and start from Bennet Creek to Fall Creek Trailhead as there is a parking lot off Felton Road. About 3 to 8.4 miles hike depending on the trails (partial loop) you choose with little to ~1500 ft elevation if you hike to Big Ben and entire loop (8.4 miles). Recommend water, protein bars and comfortable shoes.

Greyhound Rock is one of my favorite stops along Highway 1. There's lots of parking, the beach…read moreitself is massive, and it's easy to spread out and explore. The tide pools are fantastic, and there's so much marine life to find -- I even saw my first octopus here, which was incredibly exciting. The beach is full of different little areas to wander, and it's a great spot if you enjoy exploring and looking for critters. That said, the access is a real problem. The trail down is very steep and not elderly-friendly at all. The main path has collapsed toward the end, and while there's an alternative route, it's not well set in or particularly safe. The trail is also very overgrown, which makes the descent even more difficult. The park service really needs to address the access issues, because the beach itself deserves better infrastructure.

To me and my BF Joe K, there is nothing better than visiting a coastal town or city along the…read morePacific Ocean. Santa Cruz is one of our favorite vacation spots. And what is even better, we can visit a marine conservation area. While we were visiting a friend who lives in said city, he gave us a site seeing tour of a few of his favorite public beaches that were actually somewhat secluded. Davenport is a nearby town outside of Santa Cruz, where you will find some nice accessible beaches, like Greyhound Rock. It doesn't look like a Greyhound to me, but it is grey. It almost seems like a private beach, because there are less tourists who are aware of this location. There is plenty of parking in the lot with restrooms nearby. It is government protected and mostly the locals seem to make use of the area, because it is a bit out of the way from the more touristy places of Santa Cruz. We spent some relaxing and leisurely time gazing from the look outs and listening to the crashing waves of the ocean. I never get tired of the scenic views, and contemplating and appreciating what Mother Earth has created. I just wish that all human beings were aware of how important protecting this planet is for our survival....

Free and easy street parking can be found on Delaware Avenue. This park is located near Natural…read moreBridges State Beach and the UCSC campus, boasting various activities including, boating, fishing, birdwatching, biking, and picnicking. But honestly it feels like an exaggeration in a way. It sucks that the quarter mile trails on each side of the lake don't connect, these short pathways making the place not really ideal for a run or hike. I saw a few waterbirds swimming in the pond, but not many birds could be seen or heard on this quiet Sunday evening, so birdwatching was minimal even though there was an info board on site to help with identifying these beautiful creatures. There were a few picnic tables randomly placed along the pond's border, where I was able to enjoy dinner under the shade of trees. It was super calm and peaceful out there, a picturesque setting, no one around (except for people playing in the UCSC sports facilities at the end of the trail). I didn't even encounter any pesky insects as I ate my meal. It was lovely, just enjoying the sunlight glistening on the water and being surrounded by nature.

This is a nice place for a rather short .25 Mile dog walk~ There are a couple picnic tables (under…read morea nice big tree) at the end of the walk; along with a trash can. Some of it is out in the sun, and some is more shaded. Complimentary doggieDoo bags are provided at the beginning of the trail. A nice sized pond with some ducks~ I never thought of it as a place to swim, but I recently saw and man and his 2 kids swimming there. I probably wouldn't personally swim in it~ I asked another person that has been there many times, if people swim in it often, and she said she's never seen anyone swim in it, and wouldn't because it's pretty dirty, her dog gets pretty mucky after swimming in it. I'm not sure if swimming is allowed, but you'd most likely want a good shower after. It's non metered street parking. The ocean is about a block down the street from where the trail begins. The trail does not go to the ocean.

Such a peaceful place to go to watch the sea lions, otters, rabbits, birds.... Lovely wildlife all…read morearound. Some people go fishing here too. There is a little bit of trash that people leave behind that can get super irritating. Free parking. Access to nice beaches.

Smells fishy. Lots of dead fish along the shore. Lots of boaters and kayakers when we stopped for…read morelunch nearby. Busy, busy road here. Hwy 1 was almost bumper to bumper along this stretch. Patience, please!