Camping at Manresa State Beach
Manresa Uplands Campground at Manresa State Beach is a hike-in/tent-only facility on gently sloping bluffs that overlook Monterey Bay, Calif. The area has the look and feel of a nature preserve. Campers can pitch tents in native grasses. The state beach is close enough for day trips to UC Santa Cruz, which is about 20 miles away, but far from the sights and sounds of civilization. (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)
Beach visitors honor native son John Steinbeck. The National Steinbeck Center is in nearby Salinas. (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)
Teens check out Empire Cave on the edge of the UC Santa Cruz campus. (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)
Campers trek the approximately quarter-mile from the Manresa Uplands State Beach Campground to the Pacific. (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)
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The Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse is home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)