San Francisco to Santa Cruz Drive With Kids
Santa Cruz is close enough for a day trip. Choose Highway 17 or the coast on Highway 1, and save time for the tide pools.
The drive
- Distance
- Approximately 75 miles
- Typical drive time
- Approximately 90 minutes
Measured from the San Francisco Bay Area (distance) and San Francisco (time) to Santa Cruz County, as stated by the official source listed at the bottom of this page. Traffic, weather and stops with kids add time, so plan for a longer day than the map shows.
Kid-friendly stops on the way
Each stop was checked on its own official site. Open it before you go for current hours, prices and any closures.
Natural Bridges State Beach
Santa Cruz, CA
A family-friendly state beach known for its sea arch, tide pools and visiting monarch butterflies.
Official siteSeymour Marine Discovery Center
Santa Cruz, CA
A hands-on ocean science center with a touch tide pool and a blue whale skeleton.
Official site
Need more ideas before you leave? Browse things to do with kids in San Francisco or plan a different route.
Free road-trip stop checklist
Stop before everyone runs out of patience: how to plan a real break to burn energy, pick an indoor backup in case it rains, and add up the family total before you pay. One page, emailed now. Then The Weekend Scout once a week: one family outing idea for the weekend. Free. Unsubscribe from any email.
Three things to plan before you leave
- If anyone gets carsick, seat them where they can see out the front on winding stretches.
- Bring layers, since the coast can be cool and foggy.
- Check tide times before planning a tide pool visit.
Checked against: Visit Santa Cruz County: getting to Santa Cruz (checked )
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Plan the San Francisco to Santa Cruz family drive with Natural Bridges tide pools and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.
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