Roaring Camp Railroads, Santa Cruz

Roaring Camp Railroads was the perfect venue for our wedding. The steam train ride, beautiful redwood grove ceremony, and large, rustic reception hall made for a memorable experience for our guests. Heather and the rest of the staff were friendly, responsive, and easy to work with. The catering team created a delicious menu for us with great options for all diets. We appreciated that Roaring Camp coordinates so many parts of the day that would require contacting separate vendors at other venues, like table and chair rentals and setup, catering, and a bar. On top of that, the unique ceremony and reception sites share a parking lot and don't require guests to drive between the two. Though we didn't need it, it was also reassuring to know that Roaring Camp had great weather contingency plans. It's easy to underestimate how much planning and stress this all alleviates. We had an amazing wedding day and Roaring Camp was such an important part of it. We can't recommend this venue highly enough.

We went on the train ride through the redwoods up to the top of the mountain. It was 90 minutes, and really fun!!! The trains are open to the elements, so definitely dress warmly. You get magnificent views of the redwoods on the ride. There's a conductor/narrator who talks about fun facts and historical context and such, though it was hard to hear at times. They stop at the top of the mountain for about 10 minutes before heading back down. There are some shops and buildings at the start/end of the train ride (you start and end at the same place). Definitely recommend the rain ride!!! Super fun for all ages, and definitely worth it.