Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz Mtns · near Boulder Creek · SF Bay Area
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 4 miles
- Elevation gain
- 500 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Year-round · Spring for waterfalls and green
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Parking reservation strongly recommended (~$8 online). California's oldest state park is in multi-year post-CZU-fire recovery — a reduced trail network is open; confirm current openings on parks.ca.gov before going. Dogs not allowed on trails.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 2 of 5
What is here
- Features
- California's oldest state park · Ancient coast redwoods (many survived the fire) · Fire-ecology interpretation · Temporary visitor center · Skyline-to-the-Sea access
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Reserve parking online in advance and set expectations: this is a park in active recovery — many marquee trails may still be closed. On summer weekends the Santa Cruz METRO bus is a reliable car-free way in.
The guide
The oldest state park in California is rising from the 2020 CZU fire in stages, and a visit today is as much about witnessing r…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Big Basin Redwoods State Park — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.1722, -122.2214