Big Basin State Park

Big Basin State Park has been a go-to attraction before I can even remember. I’m sure my parents brought me here every time someone visited from out of state. In the 1950’s they allowed us to feed the not-so-wild deer, however that is not allowed anymore.

Big Basin Park has some of the largest Redwood trees in the world. By that I mean 20 feet in diameter, 50 feet in circumference, and as tall as a football field is long. The trees live for thousands of years. Fires started from lightening hundreds of years ago have created openings in their trunks large enough to house a small family.

Today, for their protection, only a few are open where you can walk or look inside. Big Basin is the oldest state park in California, and it became that way with the help of women conservationists and Stanford University. The picnic and campgrounds are exceptional here as you are among giant groves of Redwood trees.

Unfortunately, as of December 2021, Big Basin State Park was closed dues to a disparaging forest fire. It may be three to five years before it is safe enough to open again. Check their website for recent updates on limited access and buses to the park.

The nearby Roaring Camp Railroad offers a beautiful train ride through the redwood trees and redwood canopy tours are close by in the town of Felton.