Happy Thanksgiving from Santa Cruz County! 🫶

#visitsantacruz #santacruzcounty #happythanksgiving #thanksgiving #santacruz

Shop small this holiday season & support local businesses like these! Santa Cruz County is bursting with unique boutiques, creative curators and artists, and one of a kind products and designs. Where are you shopping this season? Tell us below!

Shoutout to a few of the amazing shops featured: @botanicandluxe, @artisansscruz, @pacifictradingco, @sockshopandshoeco, @bookshopsc, @zinniasgiftboutique, @shophomework, @lumengallery_capitola, @clementine_andco, @katalinasbythesea, @annieglass & more!

#shopsmall #smallbusinesssaturday #holidayshopping #visitsantacruz #supportlocal #santacruzcounty #choosesantacruz

Whether it’s little legs or full bellies, sometimes you just need a mellow hike. And with family time upon us, opt outside and get some fresh air in Santa Cruz County! Here are 6 hikes that are sure to please:

🐄 EAST GLENWOOD – RED LOOP: Glenwood Preserve
🌊 OLD COVE LANDING TRAIL: Wilder Ranch State Park
🌲 REDWOOD GROVE LOOP TRAIL: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
🐟 SPRING BOX TRAIL: Pogonip
🌿THE RIVER TRAIL: Fall Creek Unit
🥾BYRNE & LEONARD BARTLE TRAILS: Byrne-Milliron

Check our story now with a link to our blog that shares more on these locations including what parents will love, and what kids will love, about these hikes! Happy trails!

Video 📹 | @dgsc

#hikes #santacruz #santacruzcounty #visitsantacruz #thanksgivinghike #familyhike #familytime #optoutside #fallcreek

Sunsets this time of year >>>>> 💌

Have you caught one yet? 🌅

Video 📹 | @beningramvisuals | @hellobeningram

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzsunset #lighthousefieldstatebeach #lighthousefield #itsbeach #westcliff #westcliffdrive

It’s tasty. 😍 What’s your favorite perch for good views?

This location is Goat Rock at Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s an incredible overlook that spans forests, mountains, and views of the Pacific on a clear day.

Videos 🎥 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #castlerock #santacruzmountains #santacruz #tastyview #tastylittleview #hikes

Happy place? 🌲 It’s definitely one of ours. Fall is a great time to get on the trails: crisp mornings, fall foliage, waterfalls and streams flowing, and the forest pops with saturated colors.

What’s your favorite fall hike in Santa Cruz County?

📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Old Growth Redwood Trail

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #felton #henrycowell #henrycowellredwoodsstatepark #santacruzcounty #hike #fallhike #hiking fallinsantacruz

Welcome back, monarchs! The monarch butterflies are already here at Natural Bridges State Beach, and numbers are expected to grow! Peak viewing is typically late-November to early-December, so start planning your visit to see these delegate creatures flutter on the coast of Santa Cruz.

Have you seen the monarchs at Natural Bridges before?

For more info on visiting the monarchs, check our story! 🦋

Video 📹 | @impactcreative
Photo 📸 | @jennday77

#monarchs #monarchbutterflies #monarchbutterfly #santacruz #naturalbridgesstatebeach #naturalbridgestatepark #naturalbridges #monarchgrove

Have you tried any of these? Here are 3 must-try spots in Capitola!

1. Boba Bay 🧋- their boba is top-notch! The classic milk teas and fruit teas were an easy 10/10. Pictured here is the Tiger Milk Tea and the Strawberry Milk Tea with added boba. 💯
📍 @capitola.boba.tea, 110 Capitola Ave #3

2. LG Meats 🥪🍨 – meat is their specialty and this Pistol Pete order showed they know EXACTLY what they’re doing! Slow smoked pulled pork, bacon, avocado, and more, this sandwich was a beautiful, delicious mess! Highly recommend trying this or another tasty sandwich on their menu! 😋
📍 @lgmeatscapitola, 200 Monterey Ave #1

3. Mijo’s Taqueria 🌮🌯 – you can’t go wrong with an order at Mijo’s! The fast, friendly, and affordable eats are perfect for on-the-go beachside eats. Many of their street tacos are 2 for $5! Everything is fresh, tasty, and the perfect pop of flavor (and color!) to your Capitola adventures. 🌊
@mijostaqueria, 200 Monterey Ave #2

This is just the beginning of the delicious finds in @capitolavillage. What are you going to try next?

#capitola #capitolavillage #beachsideeats #beach #beachday #capitolavacation #visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty

King Tides are almost here! Don’t miss the lowest (and highest) tides of the season: November 5-7, December 4-6, and January 1-3!

We’ll list the low tides below – but remember, extreme lows and highs can happen on the surrounding couple of days as well!

The extreme low tides expose tide pools rarely seen and allow for miles of beach walking and extended exploration. PLEASE remember to watch your step, leave the creatures alone, and be ocean safe! Check the @visitsantacruz story and bio link for more on King Tides, where to go, and how to enjoy them responsibly! 🌊🐚🦀

Low Tide Dates & Times:

November 5: Low tide @ 4:11pm; -1.1
November 6: Low tide @ 5:02pm; -1.3
November 7: Low tide @ 5:56pm; -1.3

December 4: Low tide @ 4:04pm; -1.6
December 5: Low tide @ 4:54pm; -1.8
December 6: Low tide @ 5:45pm; -1.7

January 1: Low tide @ 3:08pm; -1.5
January 2: Low tide @ 3:55pm; -1.7
January 3: Low tide @ 4:41pm; -1.7

Cover Photo 📷 | @thecuratedfeast, Liz Birnbaum

#santacruz #kingtides #tidepools #tidepooling #californiakingtides #starfish #seastar #visitsantacruz #lowtide #kingtides #pleasurepoint

We like simple pleasures. Like watching the sunset over the Pacific. 🫶 Santa Cruz County.

Video 📹 | @dgsc

📍 Seascape Beach in Aptos

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcalifornia #santacruzcounty #aptos #seascape #seascapebeach

The streams are flowing, the leaves are falling, and the forest is calling. Who’s in? 🤚

This autumn hike is brought to you by yesterday’s stroll at the Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. To get these views yourself, park in the lot off Felton Empire Road, take the Bennett Creek Trail ➡️ Fall Creek Trail (keep left at fork) ➡️ South Fork Trail. That’s your route for all this fall beauty. 🍁🌲🌿

Please note, no dogs, no bikes, and as always, pack your trash.

#fallhikes #autumnhikes #hiking #fallcreek #henrycowell #santacruzcounty #felton #visitsantacruz #santacruz

Fall sunset walk in Santa Cruz County: predictable, but anything but ordinary. 🌅

Have you ever seen a fall sunset on the coast?

#santacruzcounty #santacruz #aptos #fallsunset #fall #fallinsantacruz #aptos #seascape #seascapebeachresort #seascapebeach #sunset

Fall sunset walk in Santa Cruz County: predictable, but anything but ordinary. 🌅

Have you seen a fall sunset on the coast this year yet? How many and from where?

#santacruzcounty #santacruz #aptos #fallsunset #fall #fallinsantacruz #aptos #seascape #seascapebeachresort #seascapebeach #sunset

What do you rate Santa Cruz County fall sunsets? 🌅

📍 Seascape / @seascapebeachresort

Videographer 📹 | @dgsc

#fall #fallsunset #sunsets #sunset #sunsetseason #santacruzcounty #aptos #santacruz #visitsantacruz #sunsetchasers

Have you been back to Big Basin Redwoods State Park since the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires? Five years later, the park continues to heal, grow, and flourish. 🌱 The fires burned over 97% of the state park, yet so many of the resilient redwoods remain and are ready to be explored! 🌲

Want to visit the park? Check the @friendsofscstateparks website for reservations and to see what trails are open – and there are quite a few trails and fire roads open! Most recently, an additional 7.5 miles of trails, reconnecting Big Basin Redwoods State Park to Castle Rock State Park and the regional trail network are now open. This includes segments of Skyline to the Sea Trail from the park’s Main Day-use Area to China Grade Road and beyond to Castle Rock. Also, along Opal Creek the Hihn Hammond connector trail can now be accessed via a newly restored bridge on Redwood Loop Trail.

For more information on the extraordinarily resilient redwoods, check our story link! 🌲

Videos + Photo 📷 | @jennday77

#visitsantacruz #bigbasinredwoodsstatepark #bigbasin #redwoods #redwood #czulightningcomplex #czulightningcomplexfire #bouldercreek #trails #hiking #hike