Just inland from Waddell Beach, Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center has two kid-friendly nature trails, both open daily, through the marshlands.
Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center
Central Coast
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
16.9 MILES
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has been an Americana classic like few others for over a century. Now as in 1907 when the amusement park first opened, the…
2.39 MILES
Just over a dozen miles southeast of Pescadero State Beach, Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve is home base for one of the world's largest mainland breeding…
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
15.44 MILES
This educational center is part of UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory. Interactive natural-science exhibits include tidal touch pools and aquariums, while…
22.12 MILES
Definitely the most interesting tech visitor center in the area. You'll be met by an army of Geniuses in red shirts offering information from how to use…
23.45 MILES
This ridiculous yet fascinating Victorian mansion is filled with 160 mostly non-utilitarian rooms with dead-end hallways and a staircase that runs up to a…
University of California, Santa Cruz
14.27 MILES
Check it: the school mascot is a banana slug! Established in 1965 in the hills above town, UCSC is known for its creative, liberal bent. The rural campus…
15.99 MILES
A kitschy, old-fashioned tourist trap, Santa Cruz's Mystery Spot has scarcely changed since it opened in 1940. On a steeply sloping hillside, compasses…
15.73 MILES
Great for sunsets, this sandy beach fronted by a natural sandstone bridge is a family favorite and tops for wildlife viewing. Scan the bay for whales,…
Nearby Central Coast attractions
2.39 MILES
Just over a dozen miles southeast of Pescadero State Beach, Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve is home base for one of the world's largest mainland breeding…
3.27 MILES
Hit the brakes for this roadside farm stand in a wooden barn to pick up fresh produce, eggs and coffee, plus amazing fruit pies (which sell out fast). The…
3. Swanton Berry Farm Stand & U-Pick
5.53 MILES
Roll up your shirtsleeves and harvest fruit at this organic pick-your-own farm. It’s a union outfit (operated by Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers), with…
4. Big Basin Redwoods State Park
5.78 MILES
A 45-minute drive north of Santa Cruz into the mountains via Hwys 9 and 236, this state park protects over 18,000 acres of redwood forest and 80 miles of…
5. Bonnie Doon Vineyard Tasting Room
7.41 MILES
In the sleepy village of Davenport, round out your palate with a wine flight in the friendly roadside tasting room of Randall Grahm's acclaimed winery,…
8.31 MILES
Five miles south of Pescadero, bobcats and coyotes reside discreetly in this pretty park's 4600 acres of dense redwood canyon and uplands laced with…
7. Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
8.82 MILES
A half-dozen miles south of Pescadero along the coast, this 115ft-high light station is one of the tallest lighthouses on the West Coast. The 1872…
11.79 MILES
Fascinating and compact museum detailing the story of Bigfoot in the surrounding Californian wilderness.