Big Basin Redwoods State Park reopened for day use in July 2022, two years after the devastating CZU Fire.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park and the surrounding area are slowly recovering from the devastation caused by the CZU Fire that burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains in August and September of 2020.

Current State Park statuses:

• Big Basin Redwoods State Park, is open through a limited-access day-use reservation system created and operated by Friends. A free State Parks shuttle will operate in a loop from the interim overflow parking area at Saddle Mountain (located at the intersection of Highway 236 and Little Basin Road) to the main day-use area near the park’s historic core on weekends and holidays this summer.
• The Rancho Del Oso Unit at the coastal side of Big Basin has limited trail access. The campground is open. There are five walk-in campsites by reservation and one shared non-reserved bike-in site available. 
• Butano State Park is open for day use and all trails have been restored. The campground remains closed.
• All trails in the Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park reopened in May 2022.

Please be safe and avoid closed areas.

Reimagining Big Basin

After the CZU Lightning Complex Fire devastated Big Basin Redwoods State Park’s resources and infrastructure, plans for reimagining and reestablishing the park included immediate recovery efforts and reimagining efforts with the public to renew the vision for the park’s future and long-term planning. The Reimagining Big Basin project began in June 2021. This project engaged with the community about reopening efforts, such as, how the park will be used in the future. The Vision Summary was released in June 2022. A Facilities Management Plan is underway to set the stage for the reestablishment of facilities to support visitor experiences and protect sensitive resources.

The public can also revisit Big Basin one year after the CZU fire through 3D Virtual Tours, of the Entrance Road, Blooms Creek Campground, Park Headquarters, the Gift Shop, the Campfire Center and Lodge, and Skyline to the Sea Trailhead (see below). These virtual tours were filmed in August 2021. Mountain Parks Foundation’s Big Basin’s Story: The CZU Lightning Complex Fire video is also important documentation of the fire impacts. The Reimagining Big Basin Vision Summary illustrates the collaborative public engagement process and the guiding vision for the re-establishment of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

Friends aids State Parks with wildfire recovery 

In the aftermath of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, through our unique position as co-management partner with State Parks, we worked hard to ensure Big Basin Redwoods State Park would again become accessible to the public. From building new fencing around pathways to clearing debris, the restoration of Big Basin for the public has been successful because of the staff, volunteers and many partners who contributed.

SUMMER 2022 UPDATE

After nearly two years of closure following the CZU Complex Fire, Big Basin Redwoods State Park reopened on July 22 for limited day-use access. We are so excited to be a part of this monumental occasion that allows the public to explore the recovering forest at Big Basin. 

Visiting the park requires a reservation for visitors to park their vehicles. Reservations can be made online or by phone (831) 338-8867. Check for open reservations daily. 

Reservations are available up to 60 days in advance and a limited number of additional spots will open up three days prior. The reservation system was created and is operated by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.

Visitors can also access the park without a reservation by riding a bike.

Visitors will find an interim Visitor Center and 18 miles of fire roads and trails open. While most of the park is experiencing substantial regrowth, it is not going to be the same Big Basin many have known. We invite you to join us in our ongoing efforts to Reimagining Big Basin for what the park could be.

The reopening of the park came sooner than expected, thanks to the dedicated work by volunteers, State Parks staff and partners, including Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. In the spring, 33 hardworking volunteers helped California State Parks staff with clean-up projects at Big Basin Redwoods State Park:

• 25 6 x 6 x 6-foot burn piles were stacked
• 75 10-foot redwood split rails were milled
• 120 feet of split rail fencing was installed around the Redwood Loop Trail.

Also, by the Spring of 2022, Friends had helped save 15 old-growth redwood trees in the park. Generous support from the Sempervirens Fund helped fund Lewis Tree Service Inc to continue this important work, which began in 2021. 

To support the recovery effort, please consider a gift to the Friends Fire Fund.

AUGUST 2021 UPDATE

Nearly a year later, we can share that recovery from this climate disaster has been happening in phases, for both parks and people.

The Fire Fund initially provided direct, immediate assistance for the staff most affected by the fire. Many staff members from Friends and California State Parks were personally impacted by the fire, including people who suffered catastrophic losses such as their homes and personal vehicles. Thanks to gifts from hundreds of individuals, as well as the California State Parks Foundation, Mountain Parks Foundation and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, we were able to financially support all 29 staff members who experienced monumental losses.

Since the fall of 2020, Friends has been supporting the long-term recovery work for the state parks impacted by this fire. In addition to the extensive and tragic devastation at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, other local state parks sustained damage, including parts of Año Nuevo State Park, Butano State Park, the Fall Creek section of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, and the Rancho Del Oso and Little Basin sections of Big Basin.

• Friends contracted with Codifi Inc. one month after the fire to digitally document the fire losses of 75 buildings and sites at Big Basin, as well as Año Nuevo State Park, including Cascade Ranch and Gazos Creek, totaling more than 25 other historic resources.  Thanks to grant support from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, we saved many months of labor and facilitated rapid reports to OSHA, FEMA and State Parks, so that on-the-ground recovery work could begin.
• Friends helped save 15 old-growth redwood trees in the park.  This hazard removal work includes taking off whole sections of the upper tree trunks or removing dead limbs or tops that had the potential to fall on areas likely to be occupied by either park staff or visitors.  Because these trees posed a hazard to the public, had the pruning not been done, they would have been cut down.  This work resulted in creating a safe environment for park visitors and staff and the preservation of these trees; each of them irreplaceable, priceless, and unique. Generous support from the Sempervirens Fund helped make the work by Christianson Tree Experts of Boulder Creek possible.
• One of the roads in Big Basin was not built to withstand the weight of vehicles and heavy equipment currently working in the area.  Friends provided the funding to purchase materials necessary to repair the road so park restoration could continue.
• Park supporters are curious to learn about how the park is doing since the fire and what recovery and restoration work is happening.  Since in-person park tours aren’t safe at this time, Friends has funded a short film and digital scan of sections of the park providing a virtual Big Basin park tour in collaboration with California State Parks.

To support the recovery effort, please consider a gift to the Friends Fire Fund.