Seacliff State Beach

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Seacliff State Beach

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Home of "The Cement Ship," excellent fishing, swimming, surfing, RV camping, and all those stairs ... Seacliff State Beach has something for everyone.

10/01/2026

How’s your Week Without Driving going? Running from Oct. 1-8, 2026, this new annual event coordinated by Cruzin’ Together Santa Cruz County encourages our community to explore transportation accessibility, mobility, and connection.

This regional initiative encourages community members to experience how transportation barriers impact many residents every day, including older adults, youth, people with disabilities, and transit-dependent community members.
Please join Cruzin’ Together Santa Cruz County at their Week Without Driving fair tomorrow!:

📍Capitola Mall (Parking lot in front of the METRO Transit Center)
Friday, Oct. 2, 2026
4 – 7 p.m.

The event will feature:
🚲 E-bike test rides
🚌 Transportation resources
🎨 Family-friendly activities
🤝 Community organizations
🛣 Mobility and accessibility information

Learn more and get involved: cruzintogetherscc.org

Image: Close-up photo of person in hiking boots walking on paved path with Week Without Driving and Cruzin Together Santa Cruz County logos.

📍Ohlone Tribal Land

09/25/2026

What would your day look like without driving? Sign up for Santa Cruz County’s Week Without Driving and challenge yourself to travel without a personal vehicle starting on October 1!

Week Without Driving 2026 encourages our community to explore transportation from a different perspective and better understand the challenges many Santa Cruz County residents face every day when traveling to work, school, medical appointments, groceries, and visiting family and friends.

Join Cruzin’ Together Santa Cruz County, Oct. 1–8, 2026, as we highlight better access, greater mobility, and stronger transportation connections across Santa Cruz County.

Learn more: www.cruzintogetherscc.org

Image: Close-up photo of part of bike (rear wheel and seat) with greenery in background and Week Without Driving and Cruzin’ Santa Cruz County logos.

📍Ohlone Tribal Land

09/19/2026

🎉 50 YEARS OF SUPPORTING OUR STATE PARKS! 🎉

Come celebrate with Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks as they mark 50 incredible years of supporting our State Parks!

🎂 50th Birthday Bash
📍 Wilder Ranch State Park
📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 12:00–3:00 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon filled with music, food, fun, and more! 🎶🍴🌳

🌊 Seacliff State Beach will be there too! Stop by our table, say hello, and celebrate with us!

📢 Visitor Center Update: The Seacliff Visitor Center will be closed Saturday, September 19 while we join the celebration. We’ll be back to our normal hours on Sunday, September 20.

We hope to see you at Wilder Ranch! 🎈

08/08/2026

📆 Educators, save the date! Field trip registration for California State Parks in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties opens Friday, August 14 at 9 a.m.

Bring your students to explore tide pools, redwoods, coastal sage scrub, local history, and more with our State Parks staff and volunteers at these free programs. Have your preferred dates ready — registration is first come, first served.

Register at https://www.parks.ca.gov/santacruzfieldtrips or link in bio.

Image description: Photo of State Park docent showing school group the fossil wall at Seacliff State Beach

📍Ohlone Tribal Lands

06/30/2026

The Seacliff Visitor Center will be closed on Wednesday July 1 and will reopen on Thursday, July 2 and be open for the rest of the week.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

06/13/2026

🌊 Happy Friday, everyone!

Remember that tomorrow Seacliff State Beach will be hosting Ocean Fest from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.! Enjoy a fun-filled day featuring food trucks, live music, local artists, and educational information booths celebrating our coastal community.

📍 Ocean Fest will be held in the lower parking lot at Seacliff State Beach. General parking will be available in the upper parking lot and Lot A on Las Olas Drive (see parking map/photos). Please note that parking near the Seacliff Visitor Center and some spaces in Lot A will be designated as ADA parking for the event.

🚗 The lower parking lot will reopen at 5:00 p.m.

🎉 Admission to Ocean Fest is free! Standard day-use parking fees apply ($10 per vehicle).

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we prepare for this exciting event. We look forward to seeing you at Ocean Fest!

06/11/2026

🌊 Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Join us this Saturday, June 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Seacliff State Beach for Ocean Fest! Enjoy a fun-filled day featuring food trucks, live music, local artists, and educational information booths celebrating our coastal community.

🎉 Admission to Ocean Fest is free! Standard day-use parking fees apply ($10 per vehicle).

📍 Ocean Fest will be held in the lower parking lot at Seacliff State Beach. General parking will be available in the upper parking lot and Lot A on Las Olas Drive (see parking map/photos). Please note that parking near the Seacliff Visitor Center and some spaces in Lot A will be designated as ADA parking for the event.

🚗 The lower parking lot will reopen at 5:00 p.m.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we prepare for this exciting event. We look forward to seeing you at Ocean Fest!

06/03/2026

🚧 Heads up, Seacliff visitors! 🚧

Our beachside lower parking lot has two upcoming closures:

📅 **Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3** — closed until 11 AM to prep the area for repaving.

📅 **Wednesday, June 8** — closed all day for repaving. Fresh concrete can be walked on after 4 hours of setting, but no vehicles will be permitted on it for the full day.

Good news: parking is still available in the upper lot, Lot A (former campground), and the Visitor Center spaces on both dates. The sidewalk path running parallel to the beach stays open for walking, and the beach and Visitor Center will be open as usual.

Thanks for your patience while we freshen things up — sea you at the shore! 🌊

📍Aptos Tribal Land

Image description: Background photo of busy day at at Seacliff State Beach with text overlay reading "Seacliff State Beach; Maintenance Update: Lower Parking Lot Closed Wednesday, June 8"

05/30/2026

🎉Today is the S.S. Palo Alto’s birthday and it turns 107 today! 🎉

On May 29, 1919, the S.S. Palo Alto was launched from the U.S. Naval Shipyard in Oakland as one of twelve concrete ships built for an emergency World War I fleet. By the time she entered the water, however, the war had ended, and she spent the next decade sitting idle in the harbor.

In 1930, the Seacliff Amusement Corporation purchased the ship and towed her to Seacliff, transforming her into a floating entertainment destination. Visitors could enjoy dinner aboard the Palo Alto, dance in the Rainbow Ballroom, play games, and even swim in a pool on the ship.

Unfortunately, the party lasted only two years before the Seacliff Amusement Corporation went out of business. California State Parks then purchased the Palo Alto for just $1.

The ship was reopened for visitors to walk the deck and fish from its rails, but decades of surf and winter storms eventually took their toll. Access to the Palo Alto was permanently closed in the early 2000's.

While people may no longer throw parties aboard the Palo Alto, seabirds, fish, seals, and even sharks now call the ship home. More than a century after her launch, the Palo Alto is still the center of activity in Seacliff—just for a different crowd.

Happy 107th Birthday, S.S. Palo Alto! 🎂⚓

📍 Aptos Tribal Land

Photo Credit: Aptos History Museum

Image 1: A photo of the Palo Alto that reads, "Happy 107th Birthday to the S.S. Palo Alto!" with confetti in the background.

Image 2: A photo of the Palo Alto sailing across the bay under its own power. It is decorated in nautical flags.

Image 3: The Palo Alto is being dropped into the water for the first time. This is its launch day, also known as its birthday.

Image 4: A photo of people gathered in the Rainbow Ballroom of the Palo Alto. Men and women are dressed up in suits and dresses.

Image 5: A photo of an empty Rainbow Ballroom. In the the back you an empty stage where the orchestra would play.

04/23/2026

Hello, New Brighton! 🌊

New Brighton and CoastSnap need your help.

Our beach is constantly changing. Powerful waves can pull sand away, shrinking the shoreline, while calmer seasons bring sand back. It’s a natural cycle, but one we’re working to better understand, manage and protect our beach.

You can be part of that effort using just your phone. 🖁

CoastSnap is a global citizen science project that tracks our changing coastlines.

Simply take a photo of the beach and upload it using the QR code on the sign in New Brighton’s parking lot.

If you visit often, download the CoastSnap app and contribute anytime.
Ready to become a citizen scientist? 📸 🧑‍🔬

Image Description 1: A photo of New Brighton State Beach with sign to participate in CoastSnap with the QR code.

Image Description 2: A zoomed in version of the CoastSnap sign at New Brighton State Beach. Showing how to participate as a citizen scientist.

Address

201 State Park Drive
Aptos, CA
95003

Telephone

+18316856500

Website

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=543

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