Landmark · 55 min northeast
Winchester Mystery House
A huge odd mansion in San Jose with stairs to nowhere and doors that open to walls.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Santa Cruz
Day trips from Santa Cruz
From Santa Cruz, Winchester Mystery House is about an hour away, Point Lobos under an hour and a half, and Lick Observatory under two hours. The best day trips from Santa Cruz, by drive time.
143 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Santa Cruz
- Natural Bridges State Beach 25 min southeast
- Wilder Ranch State Park 26 min south
- Winchester Mystery House 55 min northeast
- Lick Observatory 1 hr 31 min northeast
- California Academy of Sciences 1 hr 33 min north
- Pinnacles National Park 1 hr 47 min southeast
- McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 1 hr 50 min southeast
- Alcatraz Island 2 hr 21 min north
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 2 hr 44 min north
- Point Reyes Lighthouse 2 hr 53 min northwest
Within an hour from Santa Cruz 22 spots
State park · 25 min southeast
Natural Bridges State Beach
Sandy beach with tide pools, a sea arch and a winter monarch butterfly grove at the north edge of Santa Cruz.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; monarchs Oct-Feb
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 26 min south
Wilder Ranch State Park
Coastal bluffs, historic dairy farm buildings and bike-friendly trails north of Santa Cruz.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 29 min northwest
Ano Nuevo State Park
Elephant seal viewing on a wild peninsula north of Santa Cruz.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; guided walks Dec-Mar by reservation
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 42 min northwest
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
California's oldest state park, with redwoods that survived the 2020 fire. Reopening in stages.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; access limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 58 min northwest
Half Moon Bay
A coast town with a historic main street, beaches and pumpkin patches in fall.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; pumpkins in October
- Free to visit
Family fun · 26 min east
Roaring Camp Railroads
Steam train rides through redwoods in Felton, plus a beach train to Santa Cruz in season.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; schedule varies (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 48 min southeast
Moss Landing
Working fishing harbor with antique shops, seafood stands and sea otters in the water.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Santa Cruz 62 spots
Observatory · 1 hr 31 min northeast
Lick Observatory
Historic hilltop telescopes above San Jose with a long winding road and big views.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Grounds open daily; visitor center hours limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 1 hr 33 min north
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome and living roof all under one roof in Golden Gate Park.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
National park · 1 hr 47 min southeast
Pinnacles National Park
Spires and talus caves from an ancient volcano, plus condors and good hiking trails.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; best Oct-May
- See the official site for current fees
Waterfall · 1 hr 50 min southeast
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Short walk to an overlook of an ocean waterfall dropping onto a beach.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Hike · 1 hr 55 min northwest
Muir Woods National Monument
Easy paths through old coast redwoods in a quiet canyon just north of the city.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; best on weekdays
- See the official site for current fees
Theme park · 1 hr 58 min north
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Roller coasters, a water park and live animal shows in one park in Vallejo.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; fall and winter events on select days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Aquarium · 1 hr 6 min southeast
Monterey Bay Aquarium
World-famous aquarium with kelp forest, jellyfish and sea otters, right on the water.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 1 hr 11 min south
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Rocky coves, sea otters, harbor seals and cypress groves, often called the crown jewel of state parks.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from Santa Cruz 59 spots
Island · 2 hr 21 min north
Alcatraz Island
Ferry to the old island prison with an audio tour and big city views.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round when ferry is running
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 2 hr 44 min north
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
A riverfront district of Gold Rush and railroad-era buildings with wooden sidewalks, under Tower Bridge.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Landmark · 2 hr 53 min northwest
Point Reyes Lighthouse
A historic lighthouse at the end of a long peninsula road with steep stairs and winter whale watching.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round; open Thursday to Monday (confirm before you go); whale season Dec to Apr
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 2 hr 11 min north
Mount Diablo State Park
A tall peak in the East Bay with a summit road, wide views and many trails.
- Half day · Easy to strenuous
- Year-round; spring wildflowers; summit views best on clear days
- See the official site for current fees
Island · 2 hr 37 min north
Angel Island State Park
Ferry to a bay island with a loop road, hiking, bike rentals and old military sites.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; reduced ferry in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 2 hr 38 min north
Napa Riverfront and Downtown Napa
A walkable downtown with tasting rooms, shops and river views.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk
Wildlife · 2 hr 8 min east
Great Valley Grasslands State Park
A rare tract of native grassland near San Luis Reservoir with birds and wildflowers.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Best Mar-May
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 2 hr 14 min north
Oxbow Public Market
Food hall by the Napa River in downtown Napa with cheese, oysters and coffee.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- Free entry
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 95060 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.