California's Holiday Train Near Santa Cruz Traverses Through Giant Redwoods And The Beach

Santa Cruz, California, home to the state's oldest seaside amusement park, may not traditionally have snow on Christmas, but that doesn't mean it's not a fantastic festive destination. One beloved holiday tradition in this Central Coast town (about 90 minutes south of San Francisco) is taking a ride on one of the Roaring Camp holiday trains. California's most memorable train ride any time of year, Roaring Camp Railroads is based in Felton in the redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 7 miles from the beach. It uses restored, historic engines and train cars that make for fun rides year-round, and it has four unique holiday journeys. Whether you want to ride through the redwoods or along the beach and through the town of Santa Cruz, there's a train ride for you.

Up in Felton, you can take the Redwood Forest Steam Train to the Holiday Tree Walk. This 75 minute ride takes you through a majestic forest filled with towering redwoods, and you can disembark the train and meet Santa at the turn around point of Bear Mountain, and it runs every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This train ride is a delight; as one person put it on Reddit: "This is a must-do activity if you're in Santa Cruz. The grade is insane and the trees are fantastic."

All aboard for the Holiday Lights Train; the brightly decorated Roaring Camp Railroads train starts and ends at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. On this one hour ride, there's hot cider, live music and sing-alongs, and you can meet Santa. It's great for families; one person on Instagram said: "If you're looking for a holiday outing that's easy, cozy, and close to home, this one is really worth it. The kids had such a lovely time." It's definitely one of the most festive experiences in the Golden State, even if Santa Cruz didn't make the list of towns in California that give off Hallmark movie vibes.

For the Holiday Lights Train you can book a whole car for up to 40 guests, or choose from first class, which gives you a seat in an enclosed car, or standard, which puts you in an open car with a canopy top. The weather in Santa Cruz is relatively mild, typically not getting below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, but as one Redditor noted, winter is peak rainy season. So check the weather if you can before you book the open air option. This train runs from late November through December 23.

Christmas isn't the only December holiday. On December 11, there's a special Chanukah Train departing from the Boardwalk. This lively pre-Chanukah party features lighting the menorah before boarding, plus games and prizes, music, cider, and latkes to enjoy as the train makes its way through town. Then there's the New Year's Train that follows the same route from the Boardwalk, and it runs from December 26 to 31. It features a live DJ and light up hula hoopers.