Wind and sea carve endlessly at the cliffs west of Santa Cruz. This graceful arch in Natural Bridges State Park is one of the results.
In the city of Santa Cruz itself is Natural Bridges State Park, a notable example of erosion, and along the coast in Santa Cruz County are six other state parks—Seacliff Beach, where a World War I concrete freighter is used for a fishing pier and a fine road parallels the cliffs; Sunset Beach, with a high lookout and picnic ground under twisted cypresses; Capitola Beach, where there is a special pool for small fry; New Brighton Beach, Manresa Beach and Zmudowski Beach. At some of these campsites are available.
All through the mountains are interesting roads: the Empire Grade route from Santa Cruz through Bonnie Doon to Boulder Creek is particularly pointed out to visitors. In spring, so are the mountain apple orchards along the Valencia Creek route from Santa Cruz to Watsonville.
MONTEREY BAY
Some principal points of interest and routes around the bay
REDWOODS HENRY COWELL REDWOODS SANTA CRUZ Lorenzo River Branciforte CO CAPITOLA WATSONVILLE Pajaro River MOSS LANDING CASTROVILLE 17 Mile Drive PACIFIC GROVE MONTEREY MONTEREY PENINSULA PEBBLE BEACH CARMEL POINT LOBOS Carmel River TO BIG SUR Salinas River FORD ORD MILITARY RESERVATION SALINAS TO KING Offices of the California State Automobile Association
Highly scenic routes from the north to the Monterey Bay region are, first, the Skyline Drive from San Francisco, then down to the San Lorenzo Valley and on through its fine redwoods to Santa Cruz, and, second, the beautiful highway which follows the shoreline from San Francisco south. The main route over the mountains from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz is spectacular. The highway from Santa Cruz to Watsonville is a concrete ribbon between lovely rolling hills gay with color. On the Hecker Pass route from the Santa Clara Valley to Watsonville you can see redwoods, the whole coast of Monterey Bay, and four charming little lakes. The Chittenden Pass route, used by railroad and highway, traverses a gorge of real scenic interest.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, oldest and most popular of the state system, acts as host to more than 500,000 visitors a year.
