RECREATION
Facilities
BOARDWALK BOWL
115 Cliff St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-426-3324
Accessible restrooms, parking, and entry. Three ramps allow bowling for people in wheelchairs—roll racks also available.
CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION
Parks and Rec activities and guides
For the entire state of California
Contact online
This page offers many useful links, including a search tool for looking up accessible features available at individual California State Parks.
PARK ACCESS PASS
$10 Processing fee for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities.
This pass may provide a 50% discount on some fees charged for camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services.
It generally does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees. It may be obtained in person at a federal recreation site or through the mail using this application form.
ROARING CAMP RAILROADS
5401 Graham Hill Rd.
Felton, CA 95018
831-335-4484
Accessible beach train offers a railroad journey from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk through scenic San Lorenzo River Gorge to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and back. Kids under 3 ride free.
SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK
400 Beach St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-423-5590
California’s oldest amusement park, the Boardwalk is a half-mile-long historic amusement park with more than 34 rides and attractions, dozens of restaurants, shops, games, indoor arcades and miniature golf. Accessible features include parking, bathrooms, walking path, some rides, and most games.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FARM BUREAU
141 Monte Vista Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
724-1356 • 688-0748
A listing of farms selling direct to consumers available on request. Many of the farms provide access to disabled customers. The best way to learn what is available is to obtain a listing of farms and then call the farm of your interest.
Programs
AQUA SAFARIS
6896 Soquel Ave. Suite A
Santa Cruz, CA 96062
831-479-4386
Aqua Safaris Scuba Center provides full access to scuba classes and services for individuals of all abilities.
DIVINE EQUINE THERAPY
505 Alfadel Ln.
Soquel, CA 95073
831-296-4321
Therapeutic vaulting for children with special needs who weigh 100 pounds or less.
JEAN KVAMME CENTER FOR ADAPTIVE RIDING
9115 E Zayante Rd.
Felton, CA 95018
831-335-2347
Provides Therapeutic Riding and Equine Facilitated Learning for people age 5 and up at their ranch in Felton. Lichen Oaks is a PATH Member Center, adhering to the highest standards of safety and professionalism. Provides group or individual hour-long lessons at their world-class facility which includes an indoor arena.
MONTEREY BAY HORSEMANSHIP & THERAPEUTIC CENTER
475 Eucalyptus Way
La Selva Beach, CA 95076
831-761-1142
Offering classes and camps for individuals with special needs. A full inclusion facility providing support where needed. Located oceanside within a private, gated, campus environment. Offers a safe environment for children and adults with all levels of ability. Trail riding, vaulting and pony cart driving classes offered Monday through Saturday.
PACIFIC YACHTING
790 Mariner Park Way
Santa Cruz, CA 96062
831-423-7245
Sailing school and yacht charter company; offers all levels of sailing instruction, skippered and bareboat charters, and Corporate Team Building regattas. Pacific Yachting is in the process of creating a program that offers people with special needs the opportunity to sail or to learn to sail for free.
RIDE A WAVE (RAW)
849 Almar Ave. Suite C-324
Santa Cruz, CA 96060
831-216-6034
Volunteer, nonprofit organization that enables children with special needs to experience the joys of the beach, including the thrill of riding a wave, through surf camps and more. Contact us to set up a camp, or to sign up for a scheduled event.
SHARED ADVENTURES
9065 Soquel Dr.
Aptos, CA 95003
831-459-7210
Committed to providing recreational opportunities to people with special needs, Shared Adventures offers a year-long calendar of recreational activities and events such as sailing, rock climbing, hiking and bowling for people of all ages and abilities. The highlight of the year is Day on the Beach, a free event where over 150 people with special needs are given the opportunity to surf, float, scuba dive, kayak or outrigger canoe. Sliding scale fees.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS MONTEREY BAY REGION
3480 Buskirk Ave #340
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
408-392-0170
Provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people eight years of age and older with developmental disabilities. Special Olympics Monterey Bay supports the following sports: aquatics, bowling, cycling, floor hockey, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, roller skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, basketball, athletics, long-distance running and powerlifting.
Residential Summer Camps
EASTER SEAL CAMP HARMON
16403 HWY 9
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-3383
Ages 8-adult. For people of all abilitieS. Features40 acres of swimming, boating, arts and crafts, fishing, horseback riding, archery, sports. Costs vary. Some scholarships available.
MOUNT CROSS LUTHERAN CAMP—Special Friends
7759 HWY 9
Ben Lomond, CA 95006
831-336-5179
Christian Camp for children grades 3-12 of all faiths, who are developmentally delayed, autistic or have other disabilities. Traditional camp activities. Committed to making camp affordable to all who want to come.
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION CAMP
No specific location
Pop up events on webiste
415-673-7500
Ages 6-17 with a neuromuscular disease who are registered with MDA. Fishing, horseback riding, swimming, crafts. Free.
By the Water
CAPITOLA WHARF
1400 Wharf Rd.
Capitola, CA 95062
Accessible Features:
Parking
Good fishing, Rail height 42”, No permit needed
EAST CLIFF WALKWAY
From 32nd Ave to 41st Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Accessible Features:
ELKHORN SLOUGH
1700 Elkhorn Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
Wheelchair accessible path along the shore of Elkhorn Slough at Kirby Park in the upper slough, off Elkhorn Road. Stretch of wheelchair accessible paths on the Reserve may be accessible seasonally. Call for more info
NEARY LAGOON
110 California St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
Beautiful one mile wooden walkway through wildlife refuge and lagoon. Accessible parking at Neary Lagoon Apt. complex
SAN LORENZO RIVERWALK
From Mission St. and Front St. to Ocean St. and East Cliff Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
Nice paved paths follow both sides of the San Lorenzo River through downtown Santa Cruz and toward the Boardwalk and Seabright Ave
SANTA CRUZ HARBOR
135 5th Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
South dock has an elevator lift and 60’ plastic roll-out matting on sand for wheelchair access. There are also accessible charter boats, kayaks, private boats available for rent
SANTA CRUZ WHARF
21 Municipal Wharf
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
Good fishing, Rail height 42”, No permit needed, Paved and easily accessed in a wheelchair
WEST CLIFF WALKWAY
From Swanton Blvd and West Cliff Dr to Bay St and West Cliff Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Accessible Features:
Parking, Restroom
Lovely walkway that follows the coast for three miles. Fairly flat, consistently paved until Bay St, where it dips into a steep hill to the wharf. Accessible restroom and shower at Lighthouse Field