Neary Lagoon Park

If you like undisturbed nature and wildlife, you'll love this place. Although it is strangely right next to a water treatment facility, once you walk past it you'll enter into a different world, surrounded by tall trees and reeds, with all sorts of birds calling from every direction.

Parking is a bit limited though, but it doesn't seem like a densely popular location so the amount next to the bathrooms seem sufficient.

Lovely walk through the lagoon. Nice floating that lets you cross the lagoon.

This is a very nice park. There are paths along floating piers on the lagoon. You seeany ducks and some geese. There is a playground too.

A lovely short cut when walking across town. Be careful of the geese! They chase and bite.

Awesome place to go for a walk and see some cool wildlife. I've been coming to this park since I was a kid, and now my kid loves strolling through. The park up above the lagoon is awesome as well for younger kids

Awesome tennis courts, nice walking trail, family friendly playground with swings, a bathroom and picnic tables.

In town for a few days. My daughter loves to visit the local parks when we travel. This one was beautiful. I didn't snap that many pictures but the trail we walked on was really peaceful.

I will always love walking through the lagoon because it always relaxes me. I enjoy it most when seeing wildlife - like birds and every now and then, a turtle or fish. At a leisurely stroll, it takes me ~40 min to circle the park on the walking trails and bridges. It is a very enjoyable walk.

Nice place to walk and enjoy 😉 nature loved 😍.

What a beautiful walk. When we went, there were goats. I love the pontoon bridge path strechimg over the water.

Quiet, classy location just .4 of a mile walk down Bay St to the ocean. Mostly lovely kind older experienced and friendly seniors willing to chat or listen.
Great management team and personal in all areas! Well qualified to run this place on a day to day basis!
I am so GLAD I live here and started year two around last month!

floating wooden paths on water. spectacular place !

It's a beautiful and quiet place! Great for relaxing and think or have a nice walk with someone. Also, it's an amazing familiar place ☺

Nice quiet great place to walk your dog

Didn't expect to see a cormorant and a heron in my Google Maps shortcut across Santa Cruz!

Nice park for a walk. Of course it is located at the same spot as the waste water treatment plant so sometimes the odors do get overwhelming. Generally, that's not a problem. When the weeds get over grown, the city hires goats to eat it down. The kids love to go see the goats munch on weeds. There is a playground for small kids and tennis courts for everyone. Parking is limited in the lot but there are plenty of street parking so generally not a big deal.

One of Santa Cruz’s hidden treasures, Neary Lagoon Park is all that is left of the original lagoon that was many times larger and filled the majority of what is now downtown and the area at the base of Beach Hill. It was the main waste water drainage to the bay as well which is ironic as a major waste water treatment plant is located now on its western perimeter. Crazy as it is, the last open pipe from a dwelling emptying its waste into the lagoon was actually only sealed off about a decade ago.
So besides the occasional day of waste water aroma permeating the park, the lagoon is quite beautiful and otherworldly. A trail on dry land leads to a trail that continues across the lagoon itself, floating on the water. Discovering this for the first time is definitely a thrill and that feeling keeps you coming back often. There are benches along the entire path and floating walkway so you can take some time to settle in and experience the many moods of the lagoon- foggy, sunny, overcast, sunset and sunrise are all picture worthy and beautiful. It can be a shortcut from downtown depot park up to the westside and California and Bay Streets often utilized by a fair number of homeless citizens but don’t let that dissuade you and simply say hello and continue on enjoying the parks diverse flora and fauna. One last thing- the bulk of the water course is only a couple feet deep which explains the strange muddy giant catfish that will suddenly appear swirling up from the shallow muck. Enjoy.

I love this park. There's a walkway that takes you through the wetland. All kinds of cool birds, turtles, and these carp that look like giant koi come right up to the walkway looking for food (signs say not to feed them). It's a great shortcut that Joe's from depot park to Bag and California streets where there is a couple tennis courts and a playground for children.

Awesome park! They have foating walkways that go across the lagoon and it is absolutely beautiful. However, sometimes when walking around the long way (not to the floating walkways) it can be somewhat stinky due to the waste water treatment plant nearby. Amazing place to take a walk nevertheless though.

Great short nature trail on floating walkways that even a wheelchair can navigate with ease. Big fish (no fishing) and birdwatching. Turtles and tranquility abound.two entrances, each with advantages so check maps or try them both.