Santa Cruz County
San Francisco Bay Area Region

Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Santa Cruz County is the Gateway to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, has 29 miles of beaches and includes six state parks and six state beaches. Its quaint shops and restaurants, coupled with a multitude of cultural and recreational activities, including sailing, fishing, golf, tennis and hiking, provide a wealth of leisure activities. The State of California owns and maintains 42,334 acres of parks in the coastal and mountainous areas of Santa Cruz County. The County maintains an additional 850 acres of parks, and numerous parks are also found within the cities. Cultural amenities include the Santa Cruz County Symphony, the Cabrillo Music Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the McPherson Museum of Art and History, the University of California Performing Arts Center, and the Henry J. Mello Performing Arts Center.

Santa Cruz County is home to the following endangered species: Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander, Santa Cruz Tarweed and the San Francisco garter snake.

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