Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Overview: You'll find countless options for exploring California's signature redwood forests, but few equal the grandeur of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Jose.

Coast Redwoods, the world's tallest trees, thrive along a narrow, 450-mile strip of the Pacific Coast from Monterey, CA, to southern Oregon. The tallest are over 350 feet, the oldest over 2,000 years. A few of these ancient giants survived the onslaught of California's settlement era and were preserved with the creation of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in 1902.

The redwood behemoths form a cathedral-like canopy over the trails, creeks and campsites of Big Basin. No matter many forests you've walked through, you'll find something utterly different (and nearly impossible to define) in the redwoods. Maybe standing next to such large living things somehow reaffirms our own existence; whatever it is, you have to be there to experience it.

Tips: Stay on established trails -- it's easy to get lost at Big Basin and it can be hard to get found.

Poison oak lurks near narrow trails

The 12-mile Berry Creek Falls loop hike is a major haul; make sure you're up for it.

Water in the park's streams must be purified before drinking.

What to bring:
Map: Buy one at the park HQ.
Layers: It's often very cool in the redwoods but warm in the sun.
Camera
Binoculars
Proper Hiking gear (and food/water) if you plan to hit the trails.