Big Basin Redwoods State Park: 4 April 2004

Latitude: North 37° 09.998’

Longitude: West 122° 12.339’

Photos by Neil Mishalov

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, approximately 23 miles northwest of the city of Santa Cruz, California, and about 80 miles southwest of my home in Berkeley, California. In January, 1983, a group of friends joined with me to celebrate my 40th birthday; we ran 36 miles on the “Skyline to the Sea” trail, from Castle Rock State Park, through Big Basin State Park, and finished at the Pacific Ocean. This outing, part of which is on the “Skyline to the Sea” trail, was somewhat less strenuous. I joined the Stanford University Outing Club and we hiked about 11.5 miles through many magnificent stands of Redwood trees.

Redwood trees have grown and prospered throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America since the warm moist Mesozoic Era over 160 million years ago. Climatic changes gradually restricted their range so that now only three types of redwoods remain. Dawn Redwoods are found only in a remote section of central China. The giant sequoia is limited to scattered groves on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, is confined to a narrow coastal strip from Central California into Southern Oregon. This region corresponds to the coastal fog belt upon whose moisture these giants depend during the dry summer season.

Big Basin Redwood State Park is a home to the coast redwood <Sequoia sempervirens>. The park was established in 1902 as the California Redwood Park; this is the oldest state park in California. Its original 3,800 acres have been increased over the years, and now Big Basin has grown to over 18,000 acres.

Some hike factoids and statistics: Time on the trail: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Number of hikers: 13. Distance covered: 11.5 miles. Total ascent: 2,360 feet. Maximum elevation: 1,300 feet. Route: Big Basin Park Headquarters => Skyline to the Sea Trail => Timms Creek Trail => Sunset Trail => Berry Creek Falls Trail => Skyline to the Sea Trail => Big Basin Park Headquarters.

TRAIL MAP

All Images and Text Copyright © by Neil Mishalov

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Big Basin Redwoods State Park was established in 1902; it is the oldest state park in California	The hiking group. Craig Foster, the fearless leader of this hike, is in the center of the photo wearing shorts and a hat	The coast redwood "Sequoia Sempervirens," was the star attraction of this hike

Coming in a distant second in star quality was the Banana Slug (Ariolimax californicus). It is found on moist forest floors of the Pacific coast of California. It is also the campus mascot of the University of California at Santa Cruz	A Banana Slug	We descended a trail adjacent to four waterfalls. This one was the highest: The Golden waterfall

The group had lunch at the Golden waterfall	Then we descended down to the Cascade Falls	The fourth and the largest of the waterfalls was the Berry Creek Falls

The Berry Creek Falls	Redwood trees and sunlight	I-chun adjacent to a large and ancient redwood tree

Redwoods	On the trail	Redwood tree

Life and death	Fallen Redwood tree	Moving down the trail

These trees are magnificent	Redwood forest	Goodbye to Big Basin Redwoods State Park...until the next time