Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Beautiful park--I hope to return someday after it recovers from the desolation of wildfire.

There's a 10$ entry fee, which isn't that steep compared to Yosemite's (35$, but lasts 7 days), but for those who'd want to complain, it's towards sustaining beautiful places like these for us to adventure.

PROS:
- very quiet, peaceful; you get the serenity of the forest
- lots of shade, beautiful trees to look at
- many paths to take! I'm not sure what people are talking about saying there's only one path, but there are quite a few, and mixing and matching allows you to hike what's most suitable for each person
- caring staff; they place marks on your car to track how long you've been and to make sure you don't get lost!

CONS:
- no water up top; BE PREPARED TO BRING WATER!! It's incredibly hot even with so much shade, especially my experience with hiking the ocean summit view, so bring lots of water with you
- Decimated trees; unfortunately, the forest had succumbed to wildfires several years back, but there's still beautiful, you're just not going to see as many of the beautiful Redwood Park, unless he walked further into the forest
- Not many signs on the trails. However, the map is very helpful!!

Much has changed at Big Basin since my last review. Due to the CZU fires of 2020 this park is now a shadow of its former self. (This shouldn't be news for Bay Area residents). It will be many years for it to recover to its former glory - I predict at least a decade until all the trails and facilities are fully open. (You heard me). And it will probably be several more decades until the signs of fire begin to fade into the background. It's terribly sad, to be sure. But I am also thankful for the times I did spend here before the conflagration.

Here's a synopsis as of Fall 2023:
-- Of the original 80 miles of trails, about 20 miles are open - mostly fire roads (15 miles were open one year ago).
-- The gorgeous, historical visitors center "log cabin" at main HQ is toast
-- There is no camping here yet - either car or backcountry. (There used to be numerous sites of each flavor)
-- There have been no "skyline to the sea" backpack trips possible for three years now; most of the namesake trail is still closed
-- No access to Berry Creek Falls...or any falls for that matter
-- No access to the main park from the ocean side (Waddell Beach)

On the positive side, Big Basin is making a steady, slow recovery. It is possible to hike here again; but only from the old, main HQ location. (I did a 14-mile loop last summer with friends). And they are gradually opening one trail section at a time. Though quite a few redwoods perished in the 2020 fires, many more are in recovery mode, sprouting new growth in odd, Dr. Suess-like patterns. Kinda cool.

Unfortunately Yelp is WAAAY out-of-date on Big Basin. Of the 651 reviews for this park, only 10 have been written since the 2020 fire. That's a mere 1.5% (This review makes it 1.7%.)

It might seem callous to give it three stars; I certainly don't blame the park for its fate. But facts are facts, and the Big Basin of today is just not as stunning a destination as it once was. I hope it can return to 5-star status someday; the sooner the better.

Hiking Spot Checklist:
-- Parking: Main entrance ($8 w/ reservation; $10 without) and at Waddell Beach (no fee)
-- Bathrooms: Yes. At both main and Waddell Beach entrances
-- Potable water: No
-- Maps provided: Signs, at main entrance
-- Highlights: Recovering forests; some old-growth redwoods (untouched in a few, small sections)

My Peninsula Hike Collection is here: (https://www.yelp.com/collection/qBI6U6Lz9LJQjnGjFW6ubg/Peninsula-Hiking-Spots)

I love seeing redwoods. Redwood trees are among the biggest and tallest in the world. They can live for thousands of years. I usually go to Muir Woods to see them but on this San Francisco road trip I decided to visit Big Basin Redwoods State Park. There was a wildfire in 2020 so there are still signs of char and lots of new growth. There were a bunch of trails to walk and lots of redwoods to see. Love the fresh forest scent here.

I went here over a year a half ago as a part of my personal retreat plan that I had dedicated myself to "touching nature" at least once a month. The following pictures are a combination of both trips.
Big Basin in is beautiful place to see as a couple, family or alone based on what you are trying to achieve. The most peaceful and unconvoluted time is in the middle of the week so that your drives up the coast are not traffic filled and slow with locals, international travelers, golfers and next county visitors like myself.

Plan on stopping every few miles for views, pictures and unusual parking spots. As for the park it is nice to be able to get out of the car or off the moped and see a recovered park. I was impressed at the fact that the park maintenance outside of the roped off area looked natural and not allot of logs place for people walk around a trail. The vegetation in the area showed its scars from fires but reminded me how "nature prevails".

Take your time and walk through the park with respect for the area. Each picture will be a good one that will look good reproduced and hung on your home's wall.

Park is reopened! Map of trails 8/5/2022. There are only a couple of trails available. But, the park is doing all they can to reopen more areas. There's still a lot of burnt trees, but you can see the resilience of them all!

Enjoyed finally being back in the park. Looking forward to see more areas reopen!

We camp a lot and this was one of our favorites. Big spots and spacious. Best of all is the trees. Lots of trees and the smell is something I wish we could bottle up. Beautiful place all around. Nice trails to hike on. We stayed in the Upper Blooms Creek.

We were actually booked here back in '20 when the fires came and we had to cancel - we were terrified that this wonderful place would burn but it's okay.

My only complaint is the drive out - you can get super car sick on those roads (not the fault of the campsite of course, lol).

But great place to camp for sure. The aroma of the trees alone is worth the admission.

My one star rating is primarily for the consideration, or lack thereof, of one of the employees of the park. It was late October 2022, and I was in the middle of a long bike ride and was riding from Boulder Creek, to Skyline, and back to Saratoga.

On the ride from Boulder Creek, I sustained significant, painful injuries to both calves, and right at the entrance of Big Basin I collapsed to the ground. Both calves were visibly swollen and looked like the muscles were torn and curled up. I was barely able to stand, let alone walk. One of my colleagues walked across the road and started talking to the ranger/employee of the park to see if he could help.

I felt a sense of relief that he did that! However, my friend returned and said the ranger would not be able to drive me towards Skyline. I was in so much pain, I asked my friend to ask him to come across the road so that I could ask (ie. beg!).

He was a very young ranger, with an Australian or New Zealand accent. He said that he was not allowed to take anyone in his truck, unless they were really injured. I said "I AM INJURED AND IN A LOT OF PAIN!". He said that a medic would need to verify that...I said where do we find a medic...and he said we would need to call an ambulance! I asked if he could please check with his supervisor for and exception, and rather than ask, he said 'I know what his answer will be".

So I gave up...it was 2:30 pm and most the my cycling group left to get back to the car in Saratoga. I had to wait 3 hours to get picked up...unable to walk, in significant pain, and got very cold as the redwoods block the sun.

And you know what? We saw the ranger get in the park truck less than an hour after talking to me, and made a left turn towards Skyline! Really? What a sinking feeling. He was probably going home.

I realize good people are hard to come by, but as least hire people with sound judgment and empathy for others...

PS:

I had a flat tire years ago and the Pulgas Water Temple, and the worker there had no issues throwing my bike in the back of the truck and giving me a ride for a few miles.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park was the location my fiancé and I shot our engagement pictures. This was our first time at the park and it was beautiful! Sadly, we didn't get to explore much of the grounds, but there were still many redwood trees and greenery to see and explore during our short time there. Not to mention, the drive up to the park was a great adventure in itself!

The fiancé and I arrived around 5pm and there was still a decent amount of guests. Many were wearing masks and practicing social distancing, which was good. Overall, I think Big Basin is a great place to hike. It seems to be a popular spot. Even though we arrived towards closing time, there were still many guests, so I assume in the morning or afternoon it gets busier. Furthermore, it is a bit of a drive from the Bay, but the trees and scenery is beautiful and worth the trip.

PS: Parking is $10 and don't forget your bug spray, the fiancé and I ended up leaving with a few mosquito bites.

Well Geezus. All I can say is that there's no such beauty as nature. You can seriously get lost in the beauty here. Like all up IN it for sure. The Redwoods, the wildlife, the hiking trails, the rampant greenery, the diverse foliage, the waterfalls, the vibrant flowers. Yep... you can get lost in it all.

My friend and I hiked down to Berry Creek Falls and back along the Skyline to the Sea Trail and we enjoyed just about every moment of our mini journey. Usually I'll stop at the Visitor's Center to get some information on the trails, but since we knew what trail that we were taking, we just parked and headed down to the falls. Parking is $10 and is cash only. I would recommend that you bring the exact amount since the toll taker doesn't always have change.

We arrived around 9:30 am and there was still quite a bit of parking left, but the early birds took up most of the parking spaces located closest to the trailhead. I would also advise to get here as early as you can, especially right now during the COVID era where the trails have been slammed lately.

As we began our hike down to the falls, we were immediately greeted by the most gorgeous Redwood trees! No need to hike for miles and miles to reach these beauties. They basically line the trails during the entire duration of the hike. The hike down to the falls is about 4 miles one way, but the trail continues on and meanders through a few other parks. We did an 8 mile out and back hike to the falls and the hike was beautiful!

The trail starts off on a gradual descent into the woods and goes over small bridge crossings and under large fallen trees. An array of vibrant plants and colorful wildflowers can be find throughout the trail. It's completely covered by the shade of the giant Redwoods, so you don't have to worry about burning up in the heat.

When we finally made it up to the falls, it looked so beautiful! The falls are not a full in the summer, but still flourishing. There's a little deck with a few rest benches and a place where you can pose for pictures with the falls as your backdrop. There were a few other people on the deck when we arrived, but they were very respectful of people's time and didn't stay for too long. We took a short break and had lunch there before heading back to the parking lot. Going back is way more difficult since it's basically all up hill. Make sure you bring water because that hike back up will leave you parched.

Be sure to spray yourself GENEROUSLY with lots of bug spray! The mosquitos seemed to be out for our blood that day. Even though we sprayed, we still got bitten up pretty badly. Would definitely recommend long sleeved shirts and long pants for this one. Also, watch out for ticks and poison oak. I saw lots of poison oak all over the trail. It's easy to miss sometimes since it blends in with the rest of the foliage. All in all, the hike down to Berry Creek Falls was stunning and well worth the visit.

Beautiful place to go for a hike, we arrived at about 12pm on a Monday. It costs $10 to park and it was pretty packed.

We got lost a couple of times and couldn't find the trail we wanted to go on but ended up doing the sequoia trail which was nice, it had a bit of a slope at one point but totally doable! It just felt so nice to be covered in nature.

I loved how this place has so much shaded area so you don't feel the sun beaming on you.