Right Beaches › California › Santa Cruz
Fern Grotto Beach
4.7★ · 209 Google ratings · Santa Cruz, California
✓ Short walk
At a glance
Parking
Reported adequate
Access
6am to 10pm
Walk
150 ft · under a minute
Cost
Paid parking
Water
61°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Tide
2 ft range today
Length
475 yd of shoreline
Sand
125 yd from the water to the back
Crowds
Quietest Wed 2pm
Map of Fern Grotto Beach
Guide
Good to know
Explore the fern grotto on foot
The lush grotto filled with ferns and plants is the main feature, located on the back left.
Plan for a 1-2 mile hike
The beach requires walking at least one mile from the parking area along a coastal trail to reach the grotto.
Wear sturdy, grip-soled shoes
The final path down to the beach is steep, slippery, and washed out in places, requiring careful footing.
Bring layers and a jacket
The coastal bluff trail is consistently windy, especially in non-summer months, and can cause sandblasting during your visit.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
63°F · fog
Water
61°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
4.5 ft · 11 s apart
Wind
5 mph from the W
Shelter
Cross-shore · wind running along the beach
UV index
7 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 06:32 | High tide | ↑ |
| 09:16 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 16:18 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:35 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 1401 Coast Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
🌊 Water 150 ft away, under a minute walk
Nearby
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Questions
Common questions
How far is the walk to the water at Fern Grotto Beach?
150 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Fern Grotto Beach have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Fern Grotto Beach least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Wed 2pm and the busiest at Fri 5pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
