Active Things To Do in Santa Cruz

Woods, waves, whales: Santa Cruz motivates visitors to get out and be active. Here's a rundown of the very best active things to do in Santa Cruz. Coming to Santa Cruz without going for a walk in the woods is like going to Peru and missing Machu Pichu. With miles and miles of trails, the best place to hike in the area is Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This is truly a tough call, what with public places like Henry Cowell State Park or even the trails at Upper Campus at UC Santa Cruz, but Big Basin offers a variety of terrain, from mountains to coastline, that will satiate any hikers needs. A surprising array of waterfalls adds to the beauty of Big Basin, rounding out the reasons hiking here is the Number 1 active thing to do in Santa Cruz. One of the fastest growing sports in the country, Stand Up Paddling boarding, is taking Santa Cruz by storm. The perfect activity for folks of all fitness levels, SUP boarding is a great alternative to surfing. Instructor Neil Pearlberg of the Santa Cruz Stand Up Paddle Board Company is on of the best in the business, and his lessons will get you up, and staying up, on your board in no time. The Santa Cruz SUP Board Company takes the Number 3 spot on this list. Why go for a sail, though not a bad activity at all, when you can learn to sail and eventually skipper your own ship? That's what Pacific Yachting and Sailing out of Santa Cruz, Number 7 here, offers customers. While taking a tour of the Monterey Bay on the Chardonnay is certainly a good time, PYS goes a step beyond and actually teaches intrepid adventures how to sail. With certified instructors and sturdy ships, PYS teaches the novices the basics and refreshes the experts on skills they forgot long ago.

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