Nisene Marks, one of California’s state parks is very close. You can spend just an hour here, or the entire day. There is the main entrance on Aptos Creek Rd off Soquel Ave. There is also the no-fee back way. To access this, you park at Safeway and cross at the light to Aptos Ranch Rd. Walk about ¼ mile and you enter the park.
As you may know, there are many other green, wild, and beautiful nature places in Santa Cruz, none of them too far. Some suggestions are the Watsonville slough and wetlands, Elkhorn Slough, Land of the Medicine Buddha (in Soquel, off Main St.), Henry Cowell (in Felton, accessible by both Hwy 9 and Graham Hill Rd), Wilder Ranch (up Hwy 1 a bit north of Santa Cruz city), and Schwan Lake (in Live Oak).
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