Santa Cruz, California First visit? Start here

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk packing list, in the order you'll actually need it

Four stages, from the phone calls you make two weeks out to the bag you carry through the turnstile. Check things off as you go — your progress saves in this browser, no account needed.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk packing list

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Your Vacation Travel List

October trip · 3 days in the park · driving

Oct trip 3 days in the park 2 adults · 1 child Driving Water park dayNighttime fireworks

Because of your dates

Mid-October is the easiest weather the park gets. Layers for the morning, and not much else changes.

Highs near 74° 10% afternoon storms 9 miles walked a day

Carry these through the gate

Your park bag

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Lightweight backpack

Meets park bag size limits

I need this →

Sunscreen stick, SPF 50

No spray ban issues, no drip

I need this →

Blister bandages and moleskin

Stays on through sweat

I need this →

Snacks you already know they'll eat

Portioned, survives a hot bag

I need this →

Wet wipes and hand sanitizer

Clip-on, refillable

I need this →

Small bills and a card holder

Fits a front pocket

I need this →

Autograph book and a fat marker

Glove-friendly grip

I need this →

Beach towels

The park's rental towels are thin and cost extra.

I need this →

Underwater-safe sunglasses strap

Floats if it comes off

I need this →

Insect repellent

Sweat and rain resistant

I need this →

Glow bracelets

Enough for the whole group

I need this →

Pin trading lanyard

Breakaway clasp for kids

I need this →

Collapsible cooler bag

Folds flat in a suitcase

I need this →

What first-timers wish they'd known

The beach can feel like summer at noon and fall by sunset.

The marine layer can fool you

Cool, cloudy mornings are common along the coast, but skies can clear quickly. Bring a light layer and still plan for sun protection.

The ocean breeze changes everything

Even on warm days, temperatures can drop near the beach—especially after sunset. A lightweight hoodie or jacket is worth carrying.

Sand, rides, and walking add up

You may bounce between the Boardwalk, beach, arcade, and attractions all day. Comfortable shoes that can handle a little sand make the day much easier.

Worth buying before you go

In the suitcase

Order these two weeks out. Buying them once you're there costs about triple.

Two pairs of broken-in walking shoes

Wide toe box, dries overnight

I need this →

10% storm chance

Quick-dry socks

Wicks and dries fast in humidity

I need this →

Refillable water bottles

Fits standard stroller cup holders

I need this →

Fast Charging

Portable charger and a wall block

Charges two phones from one brick

I need this →

Gallon zip bags

Thicker seal than store brand

I need this →

Cheaper the Better

Flip-flops

For the walk between your car and the locker room.

I need this →

Water shoes

Drains water, grips wet concrete

I need this →

You may already own these

Nothing to buy — remember to pack them!

Do this, not buy this

The jobs that matter before you leave.

Carry through the gate

Lightweight backpack — Soft-sided, under the park's size limit, with a pocket you can reach without taking it off.

Sunscreen stick, SPF 50 — A stick reapplies in a queue line without a mess. Do faces every two hours.

Blister bandages and moleskin — Treat the hot spot the moment you feel it, not at the end of the day.

Snacks you already know they'll eat — Outside food is allowed. A meltdown at 4pm is almost always low blood sugar.

Wet wipes and hand sanitizer — You will eat with your hands, standing up, several times a day.

Small bills and a card holder — Ride lockers and a few carts take cash. Leave the full wallet in the room safe.

Autograph book and a fat marker — Characters can't hold a thin pen in costume gloves. Bring the chunky marker.

Beach towels — The park's rental towels are thin and cost extra.

Underwater-safe sunglasses strap — The current at the wave pool takes sunglasses whether you meant to swim in them or not.

Insect repellent — Tree-line courses and trailheads are exactly where bugs wait.

Glow bracelets — For the nighttime show, at roughly a tenth of the in-park price.

Pin trading lanyard — Free entertainment in every queue line. Cast members trade with anyone.

Collapsible cooler bag — Loose ice isn't allowed, but ice packs are. Keeps drinks cold until noon.

Two pairs of broken-in walking shoes — Alternate them. One pair will always be drying out.

Quick-dry socks — Cotton socks stay wet and cotton socks cause blisters.

Refillable water bottles — Free refill stations are all over the park. Bottled water at the counter is not free.

Portable charger and a wall block — The app, the photos and the mobile ordering will drain a phone by 2pm.

Gallon zip bags — Phones on water rides, wet swimsuits, half-eaten snacks. You'll use every one.

Flip-flops — For the walk between your car and the locker room.

Water shoes — Pool decks get hot enough to burn bare feet by early afternoon.

You already own

Phone charging cable — The one that's already yours, not a new one.

Ziploc bags — For wet swimsuits, phones on splash rides, and leftover snacks.

Swimsuits — Pack one you don't mind chlorine fading.

Bug spray — Whatever's already under the sink works.

Sunglasses with a strap — A loose pair falls off a zip line and is gone for good.

Snacks for the line — Whatever you already have in the pantry works fine.

Cash for tips — Small bills for lockers and quick-service tip jars.

A change of dry clothes — For the ride home — nobody wants a wet car seat for an hour.

Do this

Link your tickets in the park app — Ride reservations open at 7am and you can't book anything until tickets are on your account.

Check park hours for your dates — Hours shift by season and some evenings are ticketed events that close the park early.

Set a 6:45am alarm — The popular rides are gone within minutes of the 7am booking window opening.

Refill prescriptions — Pack them in a carry-on, in the original labeled bottles.

Break in your walking shoes — Two or three long walks at home now saves you a day of limping later.

Screenshot your confirmations — Cell service inside the park is unreliable when 40,000 people are on it.

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