Families in Santa Cruz can fill several days with stops that are free, cheap or short. The notes below cover ages, heights, costs and safety. All amounts are in US dollars and may change. Best Bets by Age Toddlers: Redwood Grove Loop, Seymour touch pools, tide pools at low tide. School age: Boardwalk rides, the steam train, Natural Bridges. Older children: Mystery Spot and the bigger Boardwalk rides. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Entry is free, and wristbands or tickets pay for rides.

Surf, redwoods and a classic amusement park all sit inside a few miles of each other in Santa Cruz, California, a city of about 60,000 on the north shore of Monterey Bay. Here is how to sort the options, with figures in US dollars that operators adjust through the year. Quick Picks Learn to surf: Cowell Beach, beside the Wharf. Walk among redwoods: the Redwood Grove Loop at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

Santa Cruz offers a short list of ticketed attractions and a few free ones. Use this page to compare them side by side. Figures are in US dollars and subject to change, so confirm with each operator. Redwood Forest Steam Train Where: Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Length: 75 minutes, departing daily. Fares: $42.35 adult (13 and up), $26.45 child (2 to 12), under 2 free. Parking: $10 per vehicle.

From Santa Cruz you can head south around the bay, north along the San Mateo coast or east over the mountains. Each option below lists distance, time and the costs that shape the day. Amounts are in US dollars. Choosing a Direction South: Monterey and Cannery Row, about 45 miles. North: Año Nuevo, Pescadero and Pigeon Point. East: Capitola Village, a few miles along the bay. Over the hill: San Jose by bus, or Mission San Juan Bautista by car.

Couples come to Santa Cruz for sunsets, redwoods and unhurried evenings by the water. Below are the experiences that suit two, with practical details. Prices are in US dollars and change with the season, so check before booking. Sailing at Sunset From the FF Dock at the Santa Cruz Harbor, Chardonnay Sailing Charters runs Sunset Sail, Coastal Sail, Winemaker Sail and Specialty Sails on Chardonnay II and Chardonnay III, 70-foot yachts.

Most of Santa Cruz’s sights are within a short drive or walk of the shore. The Boardwalk and Wharf face Monterey Bay, Pacific Avenue downtown sits a few blocks inland, and the cliffs and Natural Bridges lie west. Prices are in US dollars. Cliff Views at Lighthouse Point West Cliff Drive offers sweeping bay views, and below Lighthouse Point is Steamer Lane, a break for expert surfers and a great watching spot.

Santa Cruz works as a base for two to four days, whether you stay local or work in a coastal drive. The plans below show how the pieces fit, with the park, bus and parking facts that matter. Prices are in US dollars. A Local Plan for Three Days Day 1: Boardwalk (free to enter), the Wharf, then West Cliff Drive to Lighthouse Point for sunset. Day 2: Henry Cowell Redwoods and the Roaring Camp steam train in Felton, followed by the Mystery Spot at 465 Mystery Spot Road.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to see Santa Cruz. These routes are self-guided and mostly free, and the distances come from park and city information that can vary by route. Route Menu Easy and flat: West Cliff Drive, Redwood Grove Loop. Short and historic: Pacific Avenue and the Mission. Longer: Henry Cowell Observation Deck loop, Wilder Ranch Old Cove Landing loop. Seasonal: Natural Bridges tide pools and Monarch Grove.