page_title: Santa Cruz, California
section_title: Parks, beaches, greenbelt districts, and marine protected areas
hierarchical_section_title: Santa Cruz, California / Tourism / Parks, beaches, greenbelt districts, and marine protected areas
caption_attribution_description: English: Rock archway at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, California (U.S.A.).
context_page_description: Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California. As of 2019 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Santa Cruz's population at 64,608.
  Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, about 32 mi south of San Jose and 75 mi south of San Francisco, the city is part of the 12-county San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Combined Statistical Area.
  Santa Cruz is known for its moderate climate, natural environment, coastline, redwood forests, alternative community lifestyles, and socially liberal leanings. It is also home to the University of California, Santa Cruz, a premier research institution and educational hub, as well as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an oceanfront amusement park operating continuously since 1907.
  The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of Spanish settlement beginning in 1791, including Mission Santa Cruz and the pueblo of Branciforte. The City of Santa Cruz was incorporated in 1866 and chartered in April 1876. Important early industries included lumber, gunpowder, lime and agriculture. Late in the 19th century, Santa Cruz established itself as a beach resort community.
context_section_description: Santa Cruz is home to several state parks and beaches, including Lighthouse Field State Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, Twin Lakes State Beach, and Seabright State Beach.
  Santa Cruz has three greenbelt open space properties along the city limits, including Arana Gulch, Moore Creek, and Pogonip.  There are also five community parks and eighteen neighborhood parks.
  Pogonip Open Space is located adjacent to the University of California, Santa Cruz.  It includes second-growth oak and redwood forest, meadows and several streams, and is crossed by several hiking trails. Pogonip was the name of the former country club there, which once had a golf course and polo field.
  Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve is a marine protected area off the coast at the northern edge of Santa Cruz. Like underwater parks, marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. Most of the rest of the coastline of Santa Cruz lies adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
caption: Natural Bridges State Beach
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