Review Of Camping At The Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort

The Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort is the perfect place to stay for those who want to visit the redwood parks on the Central Coast.

Here guests have the opportunity to unwind and relax in spacious campsites surrounded by majestic redwood trees while also enjoying comfortable amenities such as restrooms, hot showers, a Clubhouse, and private access to the San Lorenzo River. Sounds like a dream come true?

Here is all you need to know about staying at the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort in Felton!

About Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort

Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort offers a convenient place to camp for those vising Felton, Santa Cruz, and the nearby redwood State Parks. This RV park’s accommodation choices include RV sites, tent pavilions, and dry tent campsites.

On our most recent trip, we stayed at the Standard and Super RV sites. All of the RV sites are very spacious and feature a picnic table.

The RV sites come with full hookups including electric, water, sewer, and cable TV. We have a small campervan so we just used the electric hookup to charge our electronics at night.

During your stay, community trash and recycling bins are available at multiple locations throughout the property. Restrooms and showers are within a short walk from the campsites.

This RV Park does allow dogs (with some breed restrictions) and we saw many furry friends at the campground. Some people brought pet playpens for doggies to safely stay in.

We camped at the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort during the busy travel season in July and the RV park was booked up. Despite hosting so many people, once the quiet hours started at 9:30 pm, the entire RV park was quiet and we were able to get a really good night’s sleep.  

Note that bookings at the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort require a 2-night minimum. We stayed at this RV resort for 4 nights so that was not an issue for us.

Overall, this RV resort was a convenient place to stay for a few nights while we explored some of the nearby redwood State Parks. This is a great RV resort to pick for family vacations and outdoor group trips!

The Campsites

For RVs and campervans, there are several different campsites to choose from:

• Standard RV site – $80/day
• Super RV site – $90/day
• Riverview WEO RV site – $100/day
• Premium Riverview RV site – $125/day

On our visit, we stayed at the Standard and Super RV sites in our Promaster campervan. Both of these sites were very spacious and offered plenty of privacy from the neighboring campers. Not all of the campsites are completely leveled so having leveling blocks can come in handy.

The campsites don’t come with fire pits, but you can rent one from the office for $10 for the entire stay. Firewood and fire starters can also be purchased by adding your name to a list by 5 pm before the office closes for the day.

The Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort also offers spaces for dry tent camping. This is a budget-friendly option that only costs $60/day. The tent campsites have a common fire pit area and their own restrooms and showers.

If you don’t have an RV or camping gear, you can book a tent pavilion that comes with electricity, a grill, and a picnic table. These glamping tents are great for those who want a step up from dry tent camping or want to try out camping without buying all of the necessary gear.

By staying in these canvas tents, you eliminate the ‘roughing it‘ part like sleeping on the ground and setting up your own tent. This property offers two standard tent pavilions for $65/day and one larger riverfront tent pavilion for $80/day.

The Amenities

During your time at the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort, you can stay connected to the outdoors while also having access to amazing amenities.

One of the best parts about staying at this RV resort is their bathrooms which have showers with hot water – perfect after a full day of hiking & adventuring. You just need to bring a towel, shampoo, and soap as those are not provided.

For those planning a family vacation, there are plenty of things on the property to keep kids occupied including a secluded playground tucked away in between redwoods, private river access, and a Clubhouse.

Other Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort amenities include:

• Outdoor grills
• Riverfront patio seating
• Sinks for washing dishes
• Laundry facilities

If you’re someone who works on the road (like me), you’ll be glad to know that this RV Resort offers complimentary WiFi.

This area has limited cell reception so having WiFi was very helpful for researching nearby attractions, catching up on a bit of work, and watching shows at night.

Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort Location

The Santa Cruz Redwoods RV is located in Felton along Highway 9. Highway 9 is a narrow mountain road that connects many historic logging towns and surrounding redwood parks.

We have a smaller campervan so we were able to take Highway 9 to the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort coming from the south, but depending on the size of your car, the alternative Highway 17 might be a better choice.

Highway 9 is a windy mountain road with blind corners and tight turns. This road is also used by lots of bikers, motorcyclists, and hikers making it a difficult and potentially dangerous road to navigate for larger cars. It is recommended that all RVs and Trailers take Highway 17 instead.

Detailed directions for RVs and Trailers can be found on the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV website here.

If you’re looking for a grocery store to stock up on food and water before arriving at the RV park, there is a Safeway supermarket in Felton where we usually go for all of the camping necessities.

Reservations & Check-In

If you’re interested in staying at the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort, you can make reservations through the Campspot website here.

Before your stay, you will be sent an email to ‘check in’ online. The email will contain all of the necessary details including the WiFi password and bathroom & shower codes.

The check-in time is at 1:00 pm and the checkout time is at 11:00 am. If you arrive after office closing hours, you can park by the office and pick up a map of the RV resort and a parking sticker that you’ll need to put on the windshield. It’s that easy!

Things To Do Nearby

Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort is conveniently located within a short distance of many amazing attractions and redwood trails.

Here are a few of the top places that we recommend visiting in the area:

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is home to over 4650 acres of protected redwood forests. You can easily reach the entrance to this State Park within a short 15-20 minute walk from the RV Resort.

At the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, you can visit some of the oldest and tallest redwood tree species in the world that will simply leave you in awe!

For first-time visitors, we recommend starting with the 0.8-mile long Redwood Grove Loop Trail where you can roam through an old-growth forest that was protected in the 1800s from being logged. Some of the trees within this grove are over 300 feet tall and 2000 years old.

If you’re up for a fun adventure, set aside a couple of hours to take the Roaring Camp historic train through an ancient redwood forest.

The Roaring Camp Train travels across wooden train trestles and up steep switchbacks to Bear Mountain and back. Going on this exciting ride is one of the best ways to experience parts of the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park that are otherwise inaccessible!

Read More: 9 Top Things To Do At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Fall Creek Unit

Fall Creek Unit is a separate section of the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park located 5 minutes northwest of the Santa Crus Redwoods RV Resort. The Lime Kiln Trail is a popular hike within the Fall Creek Unit that leads you on a journey through an ancient redwood forest to old overgrown industrial ruins.

The Fall Creek to Lime Kilns Trail is just over 3 miles long and passes creeks, wooden bridges, giant redwood groves, and remnants of a lime processing site. With beautiful scenery and little elevation gain, this trail is a great choice for those looking to enjoy a bit of nature and solitude.

Read More: How To Hike The Lime Kiln Trail In Fall Creek Unit, Felton

Felton Town

The closest town to the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort is Felton. Felton has a small-town charm and welcomes guests seeking a quiet escape in an old-growth forest near Santa Cruz. From serene redwood hikes to wooden covered bridges and a hidden vineyard, there are plenty of adventures awaiting you in Felton!

Felton has a pleasant downtown that is a wonderful spot to spend a couple of lazy afternoon hours. Felton’s Main Street is located just a short walk from the campground and has everything that charming small towns are known for – eclectic shops, gift stores with local handmade products, inviting coffee shops, and multiple dining choices.

Up the road, you can stop by the Hallcrest Vineyards tasting room where you can try premium organic wines from the Santa Cruz region.

Read More: 12 Wonderful Things To Do In Felton, California

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is a beautiful redwood park a 30-minute drive east of the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort. Enchanting redwood groves, waterfalls, fern-covered canyons, and historic logging sites are just a few of the things that you can experience in this stunning forest.

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park has over 40 miles of hiking trails ranging in various distances and difficulty levels. The Old Growth Loop is an enchanting trail that is easy and less than 2 miles long round trip. Along this loop, you can visit Marcel’s Forest, the largest and best preserved old-growth redwood grove within this State Park.

If you’re looking for something a bit more challenging, check out the 7.5-mile-long Historic Loop Trail that leads to old logging sites and the stunning Maple Falls.

Visitor Tip: Upon arriving at the Park Entrance Station, you will need to pay an $8 entrance fee. This pass is good for one day so if you plan to return the next day, you will need to pay this fee again.

There is one road – The Aptos Creek Fire Road that leads in and out of the park. This is a narrow dirt road that is also used by bikers, hikers, and dogs.

Read More: Visiting The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Near Santa Cruz

The Mystery Spot

The Mystery Spot is one of the top things to do near Santa Cruz, especially if you enjoy quirky and unique attractions. The main attraction of the Mystery Spot is a slanted cabin that appears to be gravity-defying. Everything about the cabin looks crooked and was built to trick the visitor’s perception.

To visit the Mystery Spot you will need to buy an entrance ticket for a guided tour of the location. The tour guides are so fun and will engage the entire audience in interesting gravity-defying demonstrations.  While the crooked cabin itself is pretty small, the tour guide kept us mesmerized and entertained for the entire visit!

Related Posts

Central California redwoods are a magical place that I’ve been returning to year after year. I hope this guide has helped you prepare for a wonderful visit to Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort and the nearby redwood attractions!

Looking for more things to do around the Central Coast? Be sure to check out these posts next:

• 10 Top Rated Vacation Rentals & Hotels In Felton, California
• Staying At The Fern River Resort In Felton
• Historic Loop Trail At The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
• 12 Top Places To Stay In Santa Cruz For a Getaway To The Central Coast
• Visiting Portola Redwoods State Park On The Central Coast
• 15 Amazing Redwood Hikes Near Santa Cruz

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