Big Basin Redwoods (Little Basin & Rancho del Oso)
Santa Cruz Mountains · near Boulder Creek / Santa Cruz · SF Bay Area
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Elevation
- 1000
- Campsites
- Limited (recovering)
- Season
- Varies (check status)
- Fee
- Varies
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- IMPORTANT: Big Basin was devastated by the 2020 CZU fire (97% burned). The main Basin campground remains CLOSED indefinitely; camping is currently limited to Little Basin (cabins/sites) and the coastal Rancho del Oso (walk-in). Reservations required; a fuller rebuild (~200 sites) is planned. ALWAYS check current California State Parks status before planning.
What is here
- Setting
- forest
- Amenities
- California's oldest state park, reborn · Old-growth redwoods surviving the fire · A forest in remarkable recovery · Limited camping post-fire
- Best for
- California's oldest state park, reborn
- Features
- California's oldest state park, reborn · Old-growth redwoods surviving the fire · A forest in remarkable recovery · Limited camping post-fire
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Camping detail
- Camp type
- developed · walk-in · cabin-glamp
- Intl tip
- CHECK current California State Parks status first — the main campground is closed post-fire; camping is limited to Little Basin and Rancho del Oso, reserved via ReserveCalifornia. The forest is in remarkable recovery (green shoots on ancient trunks). A moving, hopeful visit. Combine with the Santa Cruz coast. Access and camping options are still evolving.
The guide
Big Basin Redwoods — California's oldest state park — is a place of profound renewal. The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire burne…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Big Basin Redwoods (Little Basin & Rancho del Oso) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.172, -122.222