Established in 1902, Big Basin is California's oldest state park, located 25 mi/40 km northwest of Santa Cruz and 65 mi/104 km south of San Francisco. The park has more than 18,000 acres/7,284 hectares of old growth and recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to above 2,000 ft/620 m, and the climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny and warm at the ridgetops.
Big Basin has a wide variety of environments from waterfalls to lush canyons to sparse chaparral-covered slopes. You may see deer, raccoons, bobcats and various species of birds. You can hike a whopping 80 mi/129 km of trails in this park if you have the time and energy. It's worth spending a few days in Big Basin, either camping or staying at a hotel in one of the nearby small mountain towns.
In winter, the park receives an average of 48 in/121 cm of rain, with temperatures ranging from the 20s F/ -7 C to the low 50s F/10 C. In spring you can enjoy misty or foggy showers, with daytime highs averaging in the 60s F/15 C. In summer, shady trees offer a wonderful respite from the heat, where temperatures are upwards of 65 F/18 C and up to 95 F/35 C in the sunshine.
Be sure to visit the park's headquarters to learn more about its history, and check out the wonderful selection of books and hiking maps on sale. The state park also includes Little Basin, a former retreat for employees of Hewlett Packard. http://www.bigbasin.org.
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