Santa Cruz District State Parks offer a variety of educational opportunities for school groups. Guided walks and tours for school groups must be reserved a minimum of two weeks in advance by calling the park that you plan to visit. Once you have made a reservation, you will receive a confirmation packet complete with park rules, program information and pre and post-visit activities.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Natural Bridges State Park
Rancho Del Oso State Park
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Seacliff State Beach
The Forest of Nisene Marks
Wilder Ranch State Park
Sunset State Beach

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

A limited number of guided programs are offered at the park. Please call 831-338-8860 to reserve a tour. “Big Basin Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” is a multidisciplinary outreach curriculum for 3rd - 6th grade classrooms. If you are interested in attending a fall or spring teacher/intern workshop to prepare you to use this curriculum, please call 831-338-3944.

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Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Tours of the redwood grove are offered every Thursday and Friday throughout the year between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Additional hikes may be arranged through out the year. Call 831-335-7077 for more information and to reserve a tour.

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Natural Bridges State Park

Call the park at 831-423-4609 to find out specific low-tide times and make a reservation for any of the school group programs. We recommend reserving monarch and tide-pool tours well in advance as they fill up quickly.

Monarch Tours
Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove are offered from mid-October through the end of monarch season (January or February depending on the monarch migration pattern). These tours are offered every hour on the hour Monday through Friday starting at 10:00 am with the last tour ending at 2:00 pm.

Nature Walks
These walks are offered through wetland trails throughout the year.

Tide-pool tours
These are offered year-round in low-tide times during school hours.

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Rancho Del Oso State Park

Rancho del Oso offers school programs for grades K-12 about the natural and cultural history of the area. For further information please call 831-427-2288.

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Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

ours for school groups are offered Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Schools may also reserve a “Mission Day” at the park, in which schools have an opportunity to participate in a variety of hands-on living history activities in addition to the Mission Tour. These activities may include candle dipping, tortilla and salsa making, tule crafts, and more. Parent volunteers are required to work at stations to insure the success of a Mission Day event. Call 831-425-5849 for reservations.

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Seacliff State Beach

Seacliff State beach offers two different guided walks for school groups from grades K-12. The fossil program is also available for college groups. For more information or reservations please call 685-6444.

Fossil walk
Seacliff State beach has a secret that is 2.5 to 4 million years old. It is a fossil layer that can be seen in the cliffs along on the beach. Join us on a one hour guided walk to learn more about theancient animals that are preserved in the cliffs.

Sanctuary Treasures
Discover the treasures of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary on this guided beach walk. This one hour program will introduce the special marine resources that make the Monterey Bay such a special place. This is a popular program for young children.

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The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

The Forest of Nisene Marks has school programs for grades K-12. This program is a 1 1/2 hour guided nature walk in the redwood forest. Please call the Seacliff Visitor Center for information or reservations at 831-685-6444.

Redwood Walk
Early settlers harvested the redwood trees of this forest as if it were "red gold". When the loggers were done, the forest was bare. Come see how the forest has changed during the last 100 years on a journey to explore the nature of the redwood forest.

Forest Walks
These are offered March through November. To make a school group reservation, please call the park at 831-763-7123.

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Wilder Ranch State Park

Ranch Tours
These tours focus on the way of life on a circa 1900 dairy ranch. Because of Wilder Ranch's rich human history, they may include information on the Ohlone Indians, mission, and rancho eras as well. Tours last about 1 hour. They are tailored for 2nd through 5th grades, and are very appropriate for 3rd grade community studies. A teacher's guide is available.

Farm Animal Tours
Learn how the farm animals are taken care of, and what their jobs are on the ranch. This tour, designed for preschool through 1st grade, includes hands-on activities, and is 1/2 hour-45 minutes long, depending on age of the group.

Nature Walks
A walk on the coastal bluffs to Fern Grotto beach reveals the geology, plants, and animals of the coast. These walks are most appropriate for 5th through 8th grades. The walk is flat, about 2 miles long, and lasts about 1 1/2 hours.

Tours are offered at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, and 1:00 on the following days:
September, October, and November - Thursdays and Fridays
December, January and February - Fridays only
March - Thursdays and Fridays
April - Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
May - Tuesdays through Fridays
First half of June - Wednesdays through Fridays
Second half of June through August: Thursdays and Fridays

Nature walks and farm animal tours are canceled for rain. Tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. Spring tours fill quickly; we recommend you call at least 3 months in advance. To schedule a tour, contact the Interpretive Center.

Wagon Rides
Wagon rides are available at the ranch by calling Draft Horses for Hire, a state parks concessionaire, at 831-466-9169. Call as soon as you have your tour scheduled, as the wagon ride schedule also fills quickly. All questions on wagon rides should be directed to Draft Horses for Hire.

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Sunset State Beach

Nature Walks on the dunes at Sunset State Beach are offered March through November.