Everything about Big Basin Redwoods State Park totally explained
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a
state park in the
U.S. state of
California, located in
Santa Cruz County about 36 km (23 miles) northwest of
Santa Cruz. The park contains almost all of the
Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the
seismic uplift of its rim and the erosion of its center by the many streams in its bowl-like depression.
Big Basin is California's oldest
State Park, established in 1902. Its original 3,800 acres (15 km²) have been increased over the years to over 18,000 acres (73 km²). Home to the largest continuous stand of ancient
Coast Redwoods south of
San Francisco, the park consists of
old growth and recovering redwood forest, with mixed
conifer,
oaks,
chaparral and
riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 600 m (2,000 ft). The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops.
The park has over 130 km (80 miles) of trails. Some of these trails link Big Basin to
Castle Rock State Park and the eastern reaches of the
Santa Cruz range. The
Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail threads its way through the park along Waddell Creek to the
beach and adjacent
Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, a freshwater
marsh.
The park has a large number of
waterfalls, a wide variety of environments (from lush canyon bottoms to sparse chaparral-covered slopes, many animals (
deer,
raccoons, an occasional
bobcat) and lots of bird life -- including
Steller's jays,
egrets,
herons and
Acorn woodpeckers.
History of the basin
In contrast to the redwood trees, many of which have seen more than 1,500 summers in Big Basin, humans are much more recent visitors. Although
Native American Ohlone people passed through these forests gathering
tan oak acorns,
huckleberries and perhaps hunting
deer and small game, they didn't inhabit the Big Basin area. This may have been due to religious respect for the trees or fear of the
grizzly bears. But it may have been simply because food was more abundant and weather was milder along the shores of
San Francisco Bay and the
Pacific Ocean.
In October of 1769 the
Portola expedition 'discovered' the redwoods of southern Santa Cruz County, and camped at the mouth of Waddell Creek, in present-day Big Basin, later that month. Although many in the party had been ill with
scurvy, they gorged themselves on
berries and quickly recovered. This miraculous recovery, as it seemed at the time, inspired the name given to the valley: 'Cañada de la Salud' or Canyon of Health.
By the late 1800s, redwood forests were gaining international appreciation. Early conservationists, including such notables as
Andrew P. Hill,
Father Robert Kenna,
Carrie Stevens Walter and
Josephine McCracken, led the movement to create a park to preserve the mighty redwoods. On May 19, 1900, the
Sempervirens Club was formed at the base of Slippery Rock, within the present day park. In 1902, the California Redwood Park was created in Big Basin on 3800 acres (15 km²), most of it old growth forest.
In the following decades, visitation to Big Basin grew steadily as park amenities were developed. The
Big Basin Inn offered cabins to rent, a restaurant, general store, barber shop, gas station and photographic studio. There were also a post office, swimming and boating areas, tennis courts and a dance floor. Campsites cost 50 cents a night in 1927 and many families stayed all summer. During the
Great Depression of the 1930s, the
Civilian Conservation Corps assigned a company to Big Basin. These men built the
amphitheater, miles of trails, and many of the buildings still used today.
Plantlife
Although redwoods dominate the landscape, many other plant species are common in Big Basin. One will certainly see
Douglas-fir,
tan oak,
madrone and
wax myrtle trees in the park. Competing for sunshine are also many
shrubs such as
huckleberries,
western azalea, and many varieties of
ferns. Spring and summer bring the
wildflowers:
redwood sorrel,
salal,
redwood violets,
trillium,
star lily and
mountain iris. The rains of fall and winter deliver hundreds of kinds of
fungi in a startling variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Upon climbing to higher elevations, one will find the forest growing thinner, as redwoods are replaced by more drought-tolerant species. The higher, drier ridges and slopes of Big Basin are typically full of
chaparral vegetation:
knobcone pines,
chinquapin and
buckeye create the canopy, with
ceanothus,
manzanita,
chaparral pea and
chamise growing dense and low. Adding a splash of color are wildflowers such as
Indian paintbrush,
monkey flower,
bush poppies and
yerba santa.
Near the mouth of Waddell Creek is the
Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, a freshwater marsh that's rare because it has been relatively undisturbed. This special place provides habitat for a wide variety of
birds,
reptiles and
amphibians. The nearby
Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center interprets the cultural and natural history of the area.
Wildlife
A wide variety of
animals live within Big Basin, many of which can be seen by visitors.
Amongst mammals,
Black-tailed deer,
gray squirrels,
chipmunks and
raccoons are common, but
foxes,
coyotes,
bobcats, and
opossums are also present.
Mountain lions are known to live in the park but are extremely rare.
Grizzly bears are
extinct in California, but were numerous in the past.
Bird life is abundant throughout the park.
Steller's jays and
acorn woodpeckers are both seen and heard, and the
dark-eyed junco is widespread. Less obvious are the
brown creeper,
Anna's hummingbird,
common flicker,
olive-sided flycatcher and
sharp-shinned hawk. The first
marbled murrelet nest ever sighted was located in Big Basin not far from the park headquarters. These robin-sized
seabirds nest high in the oldest
Douglas-firs and redwoods to feed their young. They can be seen or heard at dawn and dusk, high above the forest canopy.
Many
reptiles are also present, but aside from the ubiquitous Coast Range subspecies of the
Western Fence Lizard (
Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii), most are rarely seen due to their shy behavior. The only dangerous reptile in the park is the Pacific Rattlesnake (
Crotalus oreganus), found almost exclusively in the high, dry chaparral.
The damp, shady woodland floor is home to a variety of
amphibians. Commonly seen species include the
California Newt (
Taricha torosa torosa),
Pacific Tree Frog (
Pseudacris regilla), and
Arboreal Salamander (
Aneides lugubris). Less commonly seen are the the
Black Salamander (
Aneides flavipunctatus) and
California Giant Salamander (
Dicamptodon ensatus) and the endangered
California Red-legged Frog (
Rana draytonii). Particularly intriguing are
banana slugs (
Ariolimax spp.), which can reach 6 inches long.
California Sisters (
Adelpha bredowii) are prominent butterfly denizens, fluttering high in the canopies above the trails.
Accessibility
Big Basin can be approached from the east, through redwood forest and coastal mountains, or from the coast, along
State Route 1. The eastern route, over
State Route 9 through
Saratoga and smaller towns like
Boulder Creek is more popular because of the famous trees. This route passes
Castle Rock State Park (California) on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz range.
From SR 1, Gazos Creek road offers a pleasant fire-road route for mountain bikes (road closed to motor vehicles), which can then descend into the headquarters area or turn off on Johansen fire road to join China Grade above its intersection with
State Route 236.
The park is about an hour and a half south of
San Francisco, or five hours north of
Los Angeles.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Big Basin Redwoods State Park'.
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