Basecamp · Bay Area · Santa Cruz, California

The paradise over the hill.

Silicon Valley, the East Bay, the Peninsula and the coast. Coach Leighty grew up in the Bay Area, and Santa Cruz was always the place to get away. Long Game coaches Bay Area players by video, booked in Pacific time.

StatusOpen

RegionBay Area

Portland HQ, straight line591 mi

The story

The Bay Area kid's beach town.

Santa Cruz was always the place to get away, a paradise close to home. My dream was to live there, and I did. I even have a Santa Cruz tattoo now.

So many good times: riding my bikes or my board along the coast, watching the surfers, getting pizza. Then life moved us inland to Sunol, to a rental where we could keep horses, right next door to Pleasanton, where I grew up and where my mom was.

Find what works for you, and keep it in your life one way or another.

Don't lose the powerful connections, or the feelings you get from certain places and activities. Track them, and keep finding your way back.

Surfers at The Hook beside the Sanctuary Scenic Trail sign — The Hook, where I learned to surf as a kid.

Road bike against a rail above Capitola beach and wharf — Ride break above Capitola.

Surfers in the water seen past a bike and a railing — Surf school still in session.

Things to do

Plan a Santa Cruz day, start to finish.

Classic

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The seaside amusement park, home of the Giant Dipper since 1924.

Boardwalk → Surf

Learn to surf at Cowell Beach

The classic beginner break, next to the wharf, with surf schools nearby.

Map it → Surf · Watch

Steamer Lane

Watch the best surfers in town from the West Cliff lighthouse.

Map it → Redwoods · Train

Roaring Camp Railroads

Steam train rides through the redwoods in Felton.

Roaring Camp → Weird and fun

The Mystery Spot

A Santa Cruz roadside classic in the hills above town.

Mystery Spot → Ocean

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

UC Santa Cruz's ocean science center at Terrace Point.

Seymour Center → Paddle · Wildlife

Kayak Elkhorn Slough

Paddle with sea otters, about 30 minutes south in Moss Landing.

Map it → More ideas

Visit Santa Cruz County

The county's official guide to everything else.

Visit Santa Cruz →

Listed to help you plan, not as partners or sponsors. Check each site for seasons, prices and bookings.

Trails near camp

Where to clear your head.

Santa Cruz Mountains · Redwoods

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

California's oldest state park. About 97% burned in 2020 and it is still reopening. The Sequoia Trail reopened in May 2026, the first time since the fire.

Felton · Redwoods

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

The tallest tree is about 277 feet. The Redwood Grove Loop is a flat 0.8 miles.

North Coast · Wildlife

Año Nuevo State Park

The world's largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals.

Trail tip: Big Basin day-use parking can be reserved online. Check park status first. Source: parks.ca.gov.

Get there

A quick trip to the coast.

Fly

San Jose (SJC)

The closest big airport, then over the hill on Highway 17.

Search flights → Train

San Jose Diridon

Amtrak into San Jose, then the Highway 17 Express bus over the hill.

Amtrak → Bus

Highway 17 Express

Santa Cruz METRO's bus between San Jose and Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz METRO →

Planning a trip? Email mike@longgamelife.live to hear about the next Long Game meetup in Santa Cruz.

If you're in the Bay Area today

What's open right now.

OpenFree 20-minute intro callBy video, booked in Pacific time like everywhere else.

OpenCoaching by videoTraining Camp and Conditioning, the same programs offered from Portland.

Trail crew at workThe yearly Santa Cruz gatheringEvery Basecamp gets its own yearly event. Dates go up when they're set.

Local Guide · Santa Cruz & the Monterey Bay

Know the ground around camp.

Long games run better when you're rooted where you live. Here's who looks after the Santa Cruz coast and redwoods, where locals spend their time off, and where to start if you're visiting.

Protect it

Groups keeping the coast, forests and trails healthy. Show up for a cleanup or a trail day.

Coast

Surfrider Foundation, Santa CruzBeach cleanups and coastal campaigns around Santa Cruz.
Save The Waves CoalitionSurf-spot protection nonprofit based in Santa Cruz.

Wild places

Sempervirens FundProtecting Santa Cruz Mountains redwoods since 1900.
Sierra Club, Ventana ChapterChapter for Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Trail stewardship

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail StewardshipVolunteer trail days across the county.
Leave No TraceThe seven principles every Long Game trip runs on.

Live it

Where the locals actually spend their time off.

Record stores

Streetlight RecordsNew and used music, a Santa Cruz staple.

Skate

Ken Wormhoudt Skate ParkConcrete bowls at Mike Fox Park by the San Lorenzo River.

Ride

Wilder Ranch State ParkCoastal and ridge mountain bike trails just north of town.
West Cliff DriveThe path past Steamer Lane to Natural Bridges.

Visit it

Planning a trip, or new in town? Start here.

Plan a visit

Visit Santa Cruz CountyThe county's official tourism site.

Big parks

Monterey Bay National Marine SanctuaryThe protected ocean right off the beach.
Natural Bridges State BeachTide pools, the last rock arch and monarchs in winter.

Teams

Santa Cruz WarriorsNBA G League basketball downtown.
UC Santa Cruz Banana SlugsUniversity athletics.

Know the town

Santa Cruz on WikipediaHistory and the basics.

Links go to each group's own site. Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Spot something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.

Your trailhead

Everybody has a long game. Keep the places that feed it.

Wherever you are in the Bay Area, start with a free 20-minute call.

Book a free 20-minute call See every Basecamp

Or email mike@longgamelife.live