Good for kids
Yes
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Daily cleaning
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Comments (61)
Had to climb down to the water; either stairs or windy road. Public restrooms were closed. Beach covered in seaweed. The smell was TERRIBLE! We went earlier in the day 12-3. Tons of people were walking in as we were walking out. $10/car entry fee. No food places close by. But great otherwise 😂
A big part of the pier is closed, you cant really see the shipwreck.
A unique and ghostly site for sure, lying there partially submerged at the end of the pier. There is no access any closer than the sand since the pier is closed due to its horrible state of disrepair.
Its a great place for a quick visit, the boat can no longer be accessed and they closed off part of the pier so you cant get closer but still its a great sanctuary for birds and other wildlife it is deteriorating so the sooner you go visit it the better. The beach was not crowded and had plenty of parkrangers/lifeguards driving up and down the beach. Lots of picnic tables, the only problem is that people in general are pigs as the bathrooms were SOOOOOOO nasty.
The SS Palo Alto is amazing. Couldnt help imagine when it was in her heyday.
Love camping at Seacliff beach. Hard to get a spot though.
Beautiful, scenic, unforgettable...Ive lived in the Santa County for 20 years. Its gorgeous. Consider these things on your visit.Tips:Dress...?Dress for a warm sun, cold temps, and potential strong breezes during late Fall into Winter. Sun and fun wear during late Spring into Summer. Bring sunscreen for every season even if expecting fog or overcast. Trust me on this one.👍Bring sunglasses, and maybe a hat, if you like hats.Gotta see the sites!Visit the pier, beach, or above cliffs to see the Cement Ship, the SS Palo Alto sunken in the ocean at the end of the pier. The end of the pier is closed for repair, but most of the pier is open during daylight hours or from 8am to 8pm. Very beautiful views. Also, along the cliffs, in either direction from the pier is breathtaking and can be walked, jogged, kayaked, or swam for miles.Launching kayaks or similar ocean ready water vessels...!I love fishing! I love kayak fishing and have in many areas of Santa Cruz County for a while. If you want to launch your kayak or similar ocean ready vessel, the best beach to launch from near ths SS Palo Alto is at New Brighten Beach some ways away. Im guessing a mile or so, and no vessels arevallowed near the SS Palo Alto. Rangers are watching :)Times of day to visit?ANY. But my favorites are sunrise or just after or sunset because of the angle of the sunlight and how it hits the ocean, beach, pier, and cliffs. Great sky and colors aslo!Mid day is great too. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and maybe a hat.Good eats!!The Perfect Pizza... Grab your pizza slice at the locally owned and favorite Pizza 1 right around the corner! You will not be dusappointed! Pizza one is known for its delicious flavor, unique and oremium ingredients like Corilitas sausage and its incredible sourdough crust! Yes! I said sourdough crust! It is to die for. Also, Pizza 1 is locally owned and represents the beautiful Santa Cruz County culture with kind hearts and great service. A must.Hope this helps.
Commonly known as The Cement Ship (psst, its really concrete). Weird that Google has separate reviews for the boat, as opposed to the beach or park. The ship has definitely seen better days. It doesnt even exactly look like a ship anymore. You used to be able to go put there and fish, and way back in my grandparents day, it was even open for food and dancing for a few years. Now its more sad than anything.The Visitor Center is quite nice though, and the shelters at the beach for picnics. The camping is quite nice if rows of RVs are your thing - beach just steps away!
Ive loved this beach since I was a child. As the boat disintegrates it just becomes more beautiful. Its a gorgeous place to go for a day or a week.
The boardwalk was closed, so could not get close pictures. Still a good place to visit and take pictures of this relic which is now a play/resting area for marine birds.
SS Palo Alto was a concrete ship built as a tanker at the end of World War I. She was built by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company at the U.S. Naval Shipyard in Oakland, California. She was launched on 29 May 1919, too late to see service in the war.[2] Her sister ship was the SS Peralta.She was mothballed in Oakland until 1929, when she was bought by the Seacliff Amusement Corporation and towed to Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, California. A pier was built leading to the ship, and she was sunk a few feet in the water so her keel rested on the bottom. There she was refitted as an amusement ship, with amenities including a dance floor, a swimming pool and a café.The company went bankrupt two years later and the ship cracked at the midsection. She was stripped of her fittings and left as a fishing pier. Eventually she deteriorated to the point where she was unsafe for even this use and was closed to the public. Today she remains at Seacliff Beach and serves as an artificial reef for marine life.In spring of 2005, oil found on wildlife nearly two years earlier was traced back to the ship.[3] In September 2006, a clean-up project was started estimated at $1.7 million.No oil is known to have spilled into the ocean, but wildlife experts believe birds came into contact with oil by entering the ships cracked hull while diving underwater for fish.
Pretty unsightly. This is an old concrete ship from WWI that is covered in bird feces and the birds that sit on it. There is no way to access this from the pier. It looks dangerous to be on there, so just stay away from it and look at this nasty eyesore from the beach or pier.
A neat beach to visit with an unusual attraction, a sunken cement ship with a little museum. The docents are very knowledgeable and will answer any questions.
It is pretty net having this so close to the shore. Too bad the wharf is currently closed. I would have liked to walk out to the shipwreck, instead of only seeing it from the shore. Awesome nontheless.
Growing up in Aptos in the 1970s, this was the place to go. The Palo Alto was open to walk on and fish from. Over years of weathering though, it is now only able to be observed from afar....
Pretty cool place to check out.
Its a great place to walk and as the sea breezes wash over my face I feel such peace and quiet.
Nice spot for a walk. We enjoyed seeing the water after being locked in for awhile.
Ive been seeing this ship since I was a child. The pelicans are beautiful, to bad its closed 😟
Interesting history
Beautiful, easy access to the beach. Long long walks on a great beach.
Kooky old ship. Seagull haven. Nice to fish off the pier leading up to the cement ship.
Beautiful vistas, still a lot of areas roped off and stairs still roped off.
Neat piece of history. Now the pier, as well as the ship are gated closed and access is restricted.
Very cool part of history! Weird to see it but after googling it it was super cool to learn all about it! Google this ASAP!
The wreck is a wreck. The beach goes on forever. Favorite place to walk.
Great little visitor center and volunteers!
Lots of fish caught rays striper halibut & something giant that got away too easily.
Nice shipwreck to see right off a dock and im from wisconsin to go to california
They shut down the end of the pier, so you cant even get close to the ship anymore :(
Great iconic landmark! Really makes me wonder... How did it get there?
Would liked to have seen this ship before it was gutted and broken in pieces.
Really cool. Worth checking out if you are in the area.
My favorite go to place!! Beautiful beach!
Great memories made on this boat as a child
Whats not to like (but the smell of the seabirds 😀)!
100 years old and still fascinating
Great Beach to walk the dog.
This boat is definitely not seaworthy.
Cant get close to it. Was closed off
Always happy coming to the beach
Great for fishing and driftwood
Lol cement ship
Nice!
Great as always
Nice beach
Okay place
A good place to spend the weekend, it is also interesting to observe the cement boat.
An interesting place to watch a sunset and spend some quiet time, but not much else. The biggest attraction could be the ship (S.S. Palo Alto) that was built in concrete, but unfortunately very little can be seen from the beach or from the pier (the last third of the pier is limited to passage).
Old wreck near the beach
Nice campsite for a night or two.
4.5 (61 comments)
Review №1
2021-10-01The S.S. Palo Alto is located at the end of a pier at Seacliff State Beach. The end of the pier is off limits, likely for safety, so the best views of the sunken ship is from the beach or above on the cliff. It is a cool sight to see and the State Beach has plenty of beach for everyone and great Monterey Bay views.
Review №2
2020-08-10Not much to see anymore as the surf has taken its toll on the ship wreckage. Must be a good spot for fishing off the pier as the are typically several fishermen pulling in their catch. Reasonable number of parking stalls and pergola covered picnic table areas. During the Summer the Snack Shach is open with ice cream, water and other goodies.
Review №3
2017-10-29This was great! We especially loved the Visitors Center! They have a telescope that allows you to see the ships remains. There’s a Huel Howser video of a docent led tour on the ship from many years ago that’s delightful and informative as most of his videos are. The rangers at the VC are fun and informed about the ship’s history.
Review №4
2017-09-01My grandfather had built his house from the ground up just 2 blocks from the Cement Boat. He used to go fishing off the boat. Yes. You used to be able to walk on part of the ship. As I grew up we would stay up there and I would walk to the beach every time. Ive seen this place through the changes from 1973 to now. Its a great place to go to get away from the crowds or to have a day of fun and a picnic.
Review №5
2021-01-24The SS Palo Alto is a relic of oldn days. Made out of concrete and built as a tanker at the end of World War I. Completed too late to see war service, she was mothballed until 1929, when she was intentionally grounded off a Northern California beach, becoming part of a pleasure pier entertainment complex. Palo Alto was damaged by the sea, leading her to be stripped and used only as a fishing pier. Subsequent decades have seen her be further broken by the sea, but large sections of her wreck remain somewhat intact.
Review №6
2018-11-21Its hard to review this because I couldnt see the boat because the end of the pier was closed. Although many years ago I visited and I loved it! Also the visitor center was closed so I couldnt get more information about the S.S. Palo Alto.
Review №7
2017-07-09At the top of the stairs there are some benches or places to sit looking over the cliff where you can sit quietly and read or gather yourself
Review №8
2018-12-19Always nice to walk along the coast at sunset. The pier was locked off due to high surf.
Review №9
2021-03-29Seeing photos of this pier brings back memories dating to childhood. The beach was fun but super scary too. Waves were 5 my height and there was some serious undertow on a steep slope. My brother found a cowry shell there, a rare find but not unusual given the strong current. Correct me if Im wrong but I think this pier had a snack stand at the end of it(Im going fully back 50yrs.) Sad to see yet another historic pier closing. Spent alot of time at the Berkeley pier before its closing. If you can get to these places now-do so. The fishing is awesome if you want to kill some time and tan up. Past this review,there really isnt anything remarkable about the beach unless you bring your board.
Review №10
2020-01-20Love shipwrecks no matter whatCouldn’t get closer but I think it’s for the best since I’m not the best swimmer