Santa Cruz Shopping

This remarkable preserve, California’s oldest state park, is an emerald gem in the Santa Cruz Mountains. With more than 80 miles/128 kilometers of trails winding through redwood groves and other lush habitats, Big Basin makes an appealing weekend getaway for people in the Silicon Valley, about an hour’s drive west. Moms and dads love letting the kids loose to dabble their toes in clear streams, or watching them conjure up enough courage to kiss a banana slug (ask a local; it’s a belt-notch experience for many a Northern Californian).

Big Basin offers a variety of campsites, including 38 walk-in sites—a short walk lets you pitch your tent in ultimate peace and quiet. Hike, mountain bike, or ride horses on designated routes. Trekkers love the 10.5-mile/17-km Skyline to the Sea Trail, which runs along Waddell Creek to the ocean and nearby Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve. There are also plenty of gentle, scenic rambles, such as the 4-mile/6-km Sequoia loop trail (complete with a small waterfall), and .5-mile/1-km Redwood loop trail that takes visitors to some of the park’s tallest trees. Pick up maps and hiking tips from rangers at park headquarters, and ask about guided twilight hikes and campfire programs.

It has been three decades since Hollywood introduced audiences to The Lost Boys, a film that cast Jason Patric and Corey Haim as a pair of brothers who encounter a gang of young vampires stalking the fictional California town of Santa Carla.

Filmed almost entirely around Santa Cruz County, The Lost Boys starred Patric, Haim, and Kiefer Sutherland, years before they became household names, and unfolded around the beaches, boardwalks, and bridges of Santa Cruz. Like the forever-young teenagers at the heart of director Joel Schumacher’s celebrated scary story, many of the locations where the movie was shot live on, offering a unique opportunity to see the world of The Lost Boys firsthand—without the risk of running into any vampires.

Mark the 30th anniversary of The Lost Boys by visiting some of the Santa Cruz locations it features—all marked and made easy with this downloadable location map produced by the Santa Cruz County Film Commission. 

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Extending along the coast of Monterey Bay, this famous oceanfront walkway is home to amusement park rides, shops, and music venues; and it also provided the backdrop for countless scenes in The Lost Boys. The historic Looff Carousel is featured prominently in one of the film's earliest scenes, when Sutherland's character and his vampire gang are introduced, while the massive Giant Dipper roller coaster looms large in the background of many nighttime scenes.

Atlantis Fantasyworld Comic Book Shop

Haim’s character meets the eccentric Frog Brothers, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, at this shop, which is actually located in downtown Santa Cruz—not on the boardwalk, as it appears to be in the film. A fixture in Santa Cruz for more than 40 years, Atlantis Fantasyworld relocated after the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 destroyed the original shop, but shop owner Joe Ferrara—who appeared as an extra in The Lost Boys—still runs the store at its Cedar Street location. 

Santa Cruz Wharf

The longest pier on the West Coast, this half-mile wharf in Monterey Bay is featured in the film as the location of Max’s Video Store. The shop that doubled as the video store is currently the home of the Santa Cruz Bay Company gift shop, but the building’s distinctive shape and entrance will likely be familiar to eagle-eyed Lost Boys fans.

Pogonip Clubhouse

Exterior shots of the rustic house where Patric and Haim’s characters live with their mother and grandfather in the film actually feature the clubhouse for the Pogonip Country Club. The unique property, located high in the hills above Santa Cruz, was the home of a social club, golf course, and polo club at various points over the years; and although the structure has been unoccupied for decades, it remains a popular landmark for hikers (but hopefully not vampires).

The Trestle Bridge

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie was actually filmed outside of Santa Cruz—in Santa Clarita, California, five hours south. The Iron Horse Trailhead trestle bridge that the vampire gang hangs from in the film is located off Interstate 5 on the Magic Mountain Parkway, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. The bridge now features a pedestrian walkway, for anyone who would prefer to cross over it instead of hanging underneath.

Sure, you can get your fill of corn dogs and cotton candy down on the boardwalk, but tucked into historic buildings in town, and in nearby communities are surprising finds, with talented chefs and artisanal food makers tempting you to try their latest creations. First, let’s talk coffee. Warm up on foggy mornings with a richly flavourful brew at two local favourites, Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company and Lu Lu Carpenter's. For decadent pastries along with your java, try Kelly’s French Bakery, a happy find tucked among warehouses on the west side of town. For a lunch break from the beach, head to Zoccoli’s Delicatessen (we dare you not to love the hot tri-tip sandwich), and double-scoops of lively flavours (ginger snap or lemon poppyseed) at Penny Ice Creamery. Marianne’s is another favourite for ice cream, with innovative flavours such as spicy Mexican Chocolate or Northern Oregon Blackberry. 

Hopefully you’ll have room for an amazing dinner. There’s a huge range of options—get fresh seafood and sunset views at Johnny’s Harborside and Crow’s Nest; or for Italian cuisine, settle in at homey and charming Lillian’s (black truffle-stuffed gnocchi for grownups, classic meatballs for kids). La Posta, in the Seabright neighbourhood, features a fresh, market-driven menu. 

When it comes to thrills, turns out rides at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk aren’t the only option in the region. Nearby Mount Hermon lets you “fly” through coast redwoods on a soaring zipline, suspending you some 150 feet/46 meters above the forest floor. And it’s not just about ziplining here; this forest adventure includes the zipping as part of a spectacular, two-hour canopy tour, with an informative guide helping you navigate two thrilling sky bridges as you learn about the coast redwoods and their unique ecosystem.

Mount Hermon bumps up the excitement even more with an Adventure Course featuring 14 activities ranging from clambering up cargo nets to traversing swinging logs and sky bridges.These courses are suitable for anyone at least 57 inches/23 centimeters tall and weighing between 75 and 250 pounds/34 and 113 kilograms (ages 10 and up). Groups of smaller kids (ages 6 to 11) can get in on the forest fun at Mount Hermon’s pint-size adventure course, with ropes, mini-zip-lines, and platforms. And pretty trails around the property are open to all, with a creek for splashing and ferns, wildflowers, and flittering birds.