Neary Lagoon Pier — Attraction in Santa Cruz

This is a great place to spend half an hour on a nice day. There are extensive boardwalks throughout the entire area so that you can walk out over the water and see the wildlife. There are bridges and trails along the edge of the lagoon that let you get closer to the plants and the water. There are lots of informational signs around the trails that detail all of the birds in the park and lots of good places to take pictures of everything and benches for sitting. And since it is within walking distance from downtown, it's a great lunch break activity (parking is a little tough though). Overall a...

I hear this structure more commonly referred to as the "docks" since its components are literally floating docks. These have been assembled into a floating pathway that meanders across the lagoon. It's beautiful and unique. Locals come back again and again, it is so quiet and peaceful. There are no facilities at the docks themselves, but Neary Lagoon Park has restrooms, a playground for very young children, tennis courts and some parking at the corner of California and Bay. Note there is no fishing and...

I love this spot with ducks, grebes, herons,and other birds to see. The down side is all the bicyclists who ignore the entry signs at the walkway and ride their bikes through instead of walking them! I once had a guy blow past me on a noisy skateboard scattering all the birds myself and others were watching! ...