The best parks & outdoor spots in Santa Cruz

7 parks & outdoor spots we’ve checked and stand behind — with the story on each one. Not a ranking; a record.

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Parks & Outdoors · 7 places · showing the latest additions first

McLaren Park Trails

Parks & Outdoors

Large forested park featuring scenic hilltop viewpoints, tennis courts and a playground.

2075 Burrows St (San Francisco)

“Large forested park featuring scenic hilltop viewpoints, tennis courts and a playground.”

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Alemany Farm

Parks & Outdoors

Expansive farm run by the community, offering internships, classes & volunteer opportunities.

700 Alemany Blvd (San Francisco)

“Expansive farm run by the community, offering internships, classes & volunteer opportunities.”

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John McLaren Park

Parks & Outdoors

312-acre park featuring a golf course, a pool & an amphitheater, plus 7 miles of walking trails.

100 John F Shelley Dr (San Francisco)

“312-acre park featuring a golf course, a pool & an amphitheater, plus 7 miles of walking trails.”

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Neary Lagoon Park

Parks & Outdoors

Neary Lagoon Park is an easy under-a-mile loop with a wooden pontoon walkway, interpretive signs, and front-row seats to ducks, grebes, and…

110 California St

“Neary Lagoon Park is an easy under-a-mile loop with a wooden pontoon walkway, interpretive signs, and front-row seats to ducks, grebes, and the occasional heron. It doubles as a mellow Westside-to-downtown shortcut that skips the Laurel Street grind, so you get birdsong and efficiency.”

From the Santa Cruz newsletter, August 6, 2026

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