What's New

Make your state parks adventures easier with a Golden Poppy Pass. Valid at all local state parks and beaches, this pass is available in the ParkStore Online.

SHOP

New bilingual interpretive panels have been installed at Seabright State Beach and the historic Castle Beach gate has been restored. Check them out next time you visit.

EXPLORE

Flash flooding at Wilder Ranch State Park damaged portions of the park’s historic dairy ranch. Your help is needed to support the short-term response and long-term recovery efforts.

DONATE

The Horse Camp at Rancho Del Oso Unit on the coast side of Big Basin is open for interim walk-in and bike-in, non-equestrian camping. Reservations required.

CAMP

Plan Your Visit

Our Mission, Our Passion

Our local parks and beaches: thriving and available to all!

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (Friends) is a vital partner with California State Parks, creatively working to ensure our cherished local parks and beaches are thriving and available to all. Friends’ innovative and collaborative community partnership provides support and investment for education, equity and inclusion, conservation, facilities improvements, historic preservation and cultural events.

I want to help!

Get News and Stay Connected

#thatsmypark

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Apr 27

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The Santa Cruz District is seeking a motivated Administrative Chief to join our management team. This position is a fast-paced, exciting opportunity to provide administrative support to help advance outdoor recreation. This is a full-time, permanent position with benefits. This position offers a hybrid environment—office-centered and telework eligible—and works out of the Santa Cruz District Office in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The deadline to apply is by close of business May 7, 2024. For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov/scdjobs Image: View of towering redwood canopy overhead with text overlay: “Now Hiring: Administrative Chief. $7420 per month; Full-time with benefits. For more info: www.parks.ca.gov/scdjobs” and California State Parks logo. 📍 Ohlone Tribal Land Repost santacruzmountainsstateparks #NowHiring #LiveTheParksLife #SantaCruz #HenryCowell #HenryCowellRedwoodsStatePark #ThatsMyPark

The Santa Cruz District is seeking a motivated Administrative Chief to join our management team. This position is a fast-paced, exciting opportunity to provide administrative support to help advance outdoor recreation.

This is a full-time, permanent position with benefits. This position offers a hybrid environment—office-centered and telework eligible—and works out of the Santa Cruz District Office in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

The deadline to apply is by close of business May 7, 2024. For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov/scdjobs

Image: View of towering redwood canopy overhead with text overlay: “Now Hiring: Administrative Chief. $7420 per month; Full-time with benefits. For more info: www.parks.ca.gov/scdjobs” and California State Parks logo.

📍 Ohlone Tribal Land

Repost santacruzmountainsstateparks

#NowHiring #LiveTheParksLife #SantaCruz #HenryCowell #HenryCowellRedwoodsStatePark #ThatsMyPark ...

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Apr 27

Open
This is California Spring #visitcalifornia #wildflowerseason #wildflowerchasing #flowerseason #floweraddict #wildflowers #discoverearth #beautifuldestinations #yourshotphotographer #sfbayarea #hikecalifornia #bayareatrails #naturephotography #landscapephotography #flowerscape #naturelover #californiaspring #lupine #castateparks #findyourpark #thatsmypark #mtdiablo #westbysouthwest

This is California Spring

#visitcalifornia #wildflowerseason #wildflowerchasing #flowerseason #floweraddict #wildflowers #discoverearth #beautifuldestinations #yourshotphotographer #sfbayarea #hikecalifornia #bayareatrails #naturephotography #landscapephotography #flowerscape #naturelover #californiaspring #lupine #castateparks #findyourpark #thatsmypark #mtdiablo #westbysouthwest ...

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Apr 27

Open
We’re Año Nuevo docents! To wrap up National Volunteer Week, meet some of our remarkable volunteers and celebrate what sets them apart. Año Nuevo docents are nature lovers, interpreters, wild-weather enthusiasts, elephant seal impersonators, avid hikers, van drivers, and perhaps even rising social media stars? Thank you to all of our volunteers and your contributions to our park! 📍Quiroste Tribal Land Video Description: A sequence volunteers from Año Nuevo State Park. Each volunteer walks alongside the camera and states “We’re Año Nuevo Docents, of course…” followed by an identifying characteristic about being a docent. #AñoNuevoStatePark #AñoNuevoDocents #NVW #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteer #VolunteerSpotlight #CaliforniaStateParks #ThatsMyPark

We’re Año Nuevo docents!

To wrap up National Volunteer Week, meet some of our remarkable volunteers and celebrate what sets them apart. Año Nuevo docents are nature lovers, interpreters, wild-weather enthusiasts, elephant seal impersonators, avid hikers, van drivers, and perhaps even rising social media stars?

Thank you to all of our volunteers and your contributions to our park!

📍Quiroste Tribal Land

Video Description: A sequence volunteers from Año Nuevo State Park. Each volunteer walks alongside the camera and states “We’re Año Nuevo Docents, of course…” followed by an identifying characteristic about being a docent.

#AñoNuevoStatePark #AñoNuevoDocents #NVW #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteer #VolunteerSpotlight #CaliforniaStateParks #ThatsMyPark ...

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Apr 27

Open
Bring marine creatures to life with the Seaside Watercolor Workbook! The book has easy instructions, examples for reference and sketches ready to be painted on as soon as you open the book. Perfect for a fun afternoon inside! Available at the Seacliff ParkStore and ParkStore Online! Link in our bio. #thatsmypark #Thatsmybeach #Parkstore #Watercolor #Ocean #Art #Crafting #Book #Merch

Bring marine creatures to life with the Seaside Watercolor Workbook! The book has easy instructions, examples for reference and sketches ready to be painted on as soon as you open the book.

Perfect for a fun afternoon inside!

Available at the Seacliff ParkStore and ParkStore Online! Link in our bio.

#thatsmypark #Thatsmybeach #Parkstore #Watercolor #Ocean #Art #Crafting #Book #Merch ...

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Apr 27

Open
The early blooms are popping up at Wilder Ranch. With a wet spring🌦️ and longer days of sunshine☀️, the wildflowers are abloom💮🌻🥀 Poppies, lilies, and sun cups are some of the recent flowers dotting the coastal prairies of Wilder Ranch. Come with your cameras but don't forget your manners. These flowers and the soils underfoot are delicate. Staying on trails and never picking any plants is easy and helps protect them for everyone's enjoyment. #spring #springwildflowers 📍Uypi land #WilderRanchStatePark #ThatsMyPark #CAStateParks #SantaCruz #VisitSantaCruz #OptOutside #GoExplore Image description: sun cups, poppies, grasses at Wilder Ranch

The early blooms are popping up at Wilder Ranch. With a wet spring🌦️ and longer days of sunshine☀️, the wildflowers are abloom💮🌻🥀

Poppies, lilies, and sun cups are some of the recent flowers dotting the coastal prairies of Wilder Ranch.

Come with your cameras but don't forget your manners. These flowers and the soils underfoot are delicate. Staying on trails and never picking any plants is easy and helps protect them for everyone's enjoyment.

#spring #springwildflowers 📍Uypi land #WilderRanchStatePark #ThatsMyPark #CAStateParks #SantaCruz #VisitSantaCruz #OptOutside #GoExplore

Image description: sun cups, poppies, grasses at Wilder Ranch ...

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Apr 27

Open
🔥 Prescribed burn update! Repost bigbasin_sp The Natural Resources crew's efforts to burn some of the debris left over from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire incident have been going well. They had a couple of days of good conditions for reducing fuel along Johansen Road between China Grade and Middle Ridge Road. Today was too wet though, so the crew will be keeping an eye on the plot while they wait for it to dry out enough to keep going. That means there will be no lighting today or Saturday, April 27. The crew's current plan is to get back at it on Sunday, April 28 and start working their way down China Grade Road from its intersection with Johansen Road. Be sure to visit our website www.parks.ca.gov/santacruzprescribedburns to stay informed about our efforts to preserve our public lands, improve biodiversity, and ensure a safer environment for our community. 📷: A Natural Resource crew in yellow turnout gear with hose poses for a quick photo with recovering redwood trees behind them while working on a very steep slope securing the edges of the prescribed burn plot in Big Basin. 📍 Ohlone Tribal Land #BigBasin #BigBasinRedwoodsStatePark #ThatsMyPark #PrescribedBurns #RXFire #GoodFire mountainparksfoundation friendsofscstateparks

🔥 Prescribed burn update!

Repost bigbasin_sp

The Natural Resources crew's efforts to burn some of the debris left over from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire incident have been going well. They had a couple of days of good conditions for reducing fuel along Johansen Road between China Grade and Middle Ridge Road.

Today was too wet though, so the crew will be keeping an eye on the plot while they wait for it to dry out enough to keep going. That means there will be no lighting today or Saturday, April 27. The crew's current plan is to get back at it on Sunday, April 28 and start working their way down China Grade Road from its intersection with Johansen Road.

Be sure to visit our website www.parks.ca.gov/santacruzprescribedburns to stay informed about our efforts to preserve our public lands, improve biodiversity, and ensure a safer environment for our community.

📷: A Natural Resource crew in yellow turnout gear with hose poses for a quick photo with recovering redwood trees behind them while working on a very steep slope securing the edges of the prescribed burn plot in Big Basin.

📍 Ohlone Tribal Land

#BigBasin #BigBasinRedwoodsStatePark #ThatsMyPark #PrescribedBurns #RXFire #GoodFire mountainparksfoundation friendsofscstateparks ...

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