Campground Review: New Brighton State Park is a great beach campground, even though its on a bluff above the beach. It's just south of Santa Cruz, with lots of places to get supplies, beer, etc within a couple miles. It is a very well used campground, so reservations are a must for weekends, especially during the summer. The campsites are pricey, $35 a night for sites away from the bluffs, and $50 for sites right on the bluffs with ocean views. Each site has at least one storage locker, a picnic table, and firepit/grill combo. Some sites have two storage lockers. Firewood is available from the camp hosts, and the bathrooms and showers are very clean. Showers are $1 for 3 minutes, quarters only. The camp host and the ranger both warned us about theft, if you leave your campsite alone during the day, which is too bad, but Santa Cruz has a big meth problem, so be sure to lock your cars and keep your valuables locked up or bring them with you if you go to the beach during the day. Not a lot of hiking here, but there are some trails down to a beautiful beach for swimming or lounging. The weather and ocean in Santa Cruz is much warmer than the surrounding areas, so swimming is not a problem. If you do leave the park to get supplies or food, I would highly recommend Sno-White for burgers and Seacliff Plaza Store for booze, firewood, and beach gear. 4 out of 5 stars for the campground

Product Review: Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time. At New Brighton, I tested the Tredagain Hawthorne shoes https://tredagain.com/collections/mens/products/mens-hawthorne-olive

These shoes are super comfortable and durable, but I don't know how they would hold up if they got wet, or for moderate hiking trips, for sure they aren't for long hikes or backpacking. They have found a spot with my camping gear as a shoe I wear if it is too cold to wear sandals, or if the campground is rocky or has long walks to the bathrooms. For the old school folks, they are a lot like Vans Half Cab shoes, flat soles and no arch support. They get a 4 our of 5 review for their purpose, just don't expect to hike in these.