Northern California Scotts Valley Hotel Attractions

Santa Cruz Boardwalk Monterey Bay Natural History Museum Surfing Museum State Park University Natural Bridges  Santa Cruz Symphony

A gateway to high-tech and natural wonders, Scotts Valley is only 6 miles from beautiful Santa Cruz beaches, boardwalk and tourist attractions, and just 30 minutes from San Jose and fast-paced Silicon Valley. Framed by majestic, coastal redwoods amid the Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley keeps its small-town charm, unaffected by its status as Santa Cruz County's center for technology businesses.

Scotts Valley offers several beautiful parks for hiking, biking, fishing, tennis and basketball, award-winning mountain wineries and the scenic, nine-hole Valley Garden Golf Course. Spend the day biking or hiking along the redwood trails at Henry Cowell State Park or hiking down to the sea and rugged north coast shoreline at Big Basin - California’s oldest state park. Whether a vacation destination or a stop along the way, Scotts Valley is the perfect Northern California coastal retreat.


Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Located on a mile-beach between Monterey and San Francisco, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is your hot spot for beach vibes and classic rides. California's oldest amusement park, the Boardwalk blends old-time nostalgia and ocean-view thrills. The park includes two National Historic Landmarks - the 1911 Looff Carousel and 1924 Giant Dipper, a giant wood-framed roller coaster - and the park's latest rides, Fireball and Cliff Hanger. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk also features the Boardwalk Grand Arcades, the Casino Arcade, Neptune’s the Climb & Conquer climbing wall, Venturer Simulator motion theater, Trampoline Thing, and the 3-D Fun House. Bring a swimsuit,  you'll be steps from the Santa Cruz beach. Visit www.rwsplash.com.

Santa Cruz Wharf. Stretching a half mile into the waters of Monterey Bay and adjacent to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is lined with fish markets, seafood restaurants and gift shops. Hop aboard a boat for a sightseeing excursion around the bay, or stroll to the end of the wharf to watch the comical sea lions. The wharf hosts Jazz on the Wharf and Woodies on the Wharf.  [Top]


Monterey Bay. Offering 29 miles of coastline, Monterey is a lively port for fun and exploration. Venture into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the world's largest protected ocean habitat. Dive lush kelp forests and watch sea otters scoop up lunch. Kayak waterways shared with dolphins and sea lions. Sail indigo waters and glide with gray whales migrating through the sanctuary in winter and spring. Touch a starfish and marvel at an 87-foot whale skeleton while exploring underworld mysteries at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. As evening falls, watch the last orange streak of sunset fade into the resting waters of the Bay.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Spanning 276 miles of shoreline between Marin and Cambria, this 5,322-square-mile marine sanctuary is one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, with the heart of it in Monterey Bay. Numerous mammals, seabirds, fishes, invertebrates and plants make their home here. Endless opportunities to take advantage of the Sanctuary's resources abound in Santa Cruz, including kayaking, hiking, whale watching, fishing, sailing, surfing, and scuba diving. Call (831) 647-4201  [Top]


Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History. Tour the habitats of Santa Cruz with a stroll through the exhibit area. Visit woodlands, chaparrals, grasslands and a variety of marine environments. Pound acorns the Ohlone way, excavate sand dollars, tickle a sea star, or get close with a living bee hive. Great for all ages, although children particularly enjoy climbing on the cement whale located on the front lawn. Call (831) 420-6115

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. This quaint museum in downtown Santa Cruz focuses on contemporary and historical visual culture with a series of rotating exhibitions. The permanent collection displays historical artifacts that illustrate the unique history of Santa Cruz. The museum offers docent-led tours of the historic Octagon building, the Evergreen Historic Cemetery and the Davenport Jail Museum. Call (831) 429-1964  [Top]


Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is housed in the small, brick Mark Abbon Memorial Lighthouse overlooking Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz's internationally renowned surf spot, as well as Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. Focusing on Santa Cruz's surfing history, the Surfing Museum displays unsinkable redwood plank surfboards, photographs of sets and breaks from the 1930s on, and sells books, T-shirts and other paraphernalia. Call (831) 420-6289

The Mystery Spot. Located a few miles out of Scotts Valley in a beautiful Redwood forest, The Mystery Spot makes a great adventure and may be the manifest source of Santa Cruz's weirdness. Practically unchanged since its opening in 1939, the promotional literature still says, "It's Unusual, It's Amazing, It's Wholesome, Interesting Entertainment." This campy Santa Cruz spot is open every day of the year and draws visitors from all over the world. Call (831) 423.8897

Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad. Minutes from Scotts Valley, you'll find America's last steam-powered passenger railroad with year-round passenger train service on the historic Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad. Discover California's towering redwood forests from two historic railroads on your next visit to the San Francisco or Monterey Bay areas. Travel by steam train up a narrow-gauge track through the Big Trees to Bear Mountain or by beach train down the scenic San Lorenzo River to the beaches of Santa Cruz.  [Top]


Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Discover old-growth redwood trees and 20 miles of beautiful hiking, biking and equestrian trails through a forest that looks as it did 200 years ago. Henry Cowell is home of the giant Redwood Grove, a nature path, and a stand of Ponderosa pine. The oldest trees in the park are 1,400 to 1,800 years old. Located on the border of Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the park features a one-mile redwood loop so you can enjoy a day in the trees. The San Lorenzo River runs through the middle of this park, offering a variety of terrain and wildlife to explore. Hike from the campgrounds to the observation deck, where you are rewarded spectacular views of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary and Santa Cruz coastline. The park has a picnic area, a nature center, campgrounds and a bookstore.

Big Basin State Park. The oldest state park in California, this park is one of the most beautiful state parks in the country. Located 15 minutes from Scotts Valley, Big Basin State Park is the perfect spot to watch the sunrise from one of the many vista points. Then, with plenty of water and your lunch packed, you can make a day of it by hiking down to the sea and rugged north coast shoreline.  [Top]


University of California, Santa Cruz. Founded in 1965, the University of California, Santa Cruz has grown to its current enrollment of 14,000 students. Some 90 percent of the students are undergraduates who pursue 56 majors in the schools of arts, engineering, humanities, physical & biological sciences, and social sciences. In 2002, U.S. News and World Report named UC Santa Cruz the 28th best public campus in the country. Faculty who have been attracted to Santa Cruz include 11 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 19 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and two members of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine.

Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries. Explore the mostly undiscovered and uncrowded Santa Cruz mountain wineries, which utilize one of the premier wine growing regions of the world. There are many wine vineyards and wine makers located in and near Scotts Valley, with most of them just a short 15 or 20 minute drive through the redwood trees.

Byington Vineyard & Winery. Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Byington provides the perfect setting for sipping wines or celebrating special occasions. The manicured grounds of the Byington estate and its Italianate stone winery chateau create a striking backdrop for any occasion. Whether dreaming of an enchanted wine country wedding or planning a corporate retreat, visit www.byington.com.  [Top]


Natural Bridges State Park. An ideal place for tidal pool exploration, low tide reveals pools filled with sea stars, tiny crabs and sea anemones. Bring your binoculars for fall and winter trips to Natural Bridges Sate Park. Each fall marks the return of thousands of monarch butterflies that spend their winters in a protected eucalyptus grove inside the park.

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. Built in 1791, Santa Cruz's Misión la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz was the 12th mission built in California. Perched atop a steep hill overlooking downtown Santa Cruz, the mission is the last standing structure of the original Neary-Rodriguez adobe cluster. Although damaged by several earthquakes over the years, the single-story adobe mission has been restored respective of its original design. Mission Plaza, Santa Cruz, CA. Call (831) 425-5849.  [Top]


Santa Cruz Symphony. Experience a year-round concert series featuring symphonic classics and world premieres of contemporary compositions. Santa Cruz Symphony performances are held at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Mello Center in Watsonville.

Davenport. North of Santa Cruz, the legendary Highway One rushes alongside the sea offering sweeping vistas of rugged coastline, artichoke fields, and the magnificent Monterey Bay. Nine miles up the coast is a little town called Davenport. Established over 140 years ago as a whaling community, Davenport is now a thriving artisan’s enclave. Weary city-folk seek refuge in the town's art galleries and charming cafes. In the winter months, locals and visitors stand atop the bluffs to watch migrating whales as they pass just off shore.
Visit California Wedding  [Top]

   View Brochure
   Send Brochure