Big Basin Redwoods State Park
is California's oldest state park, established in 1902. Home to the
largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San
Francisco, the park consists of over 18,000 acres 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
2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to
sunny, warm ridge tops.
The park has over 80 miles of trails. Some 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 surprising number of waterfalls and a wide variety of
environments from lush canyon bottoms to sparse chaparral-covered
slopes. Many animals such as deer, raccoon, coyote, fox, an occasional
bobcat, mountain lion, and many bird species--including California
quail, egret, heron, hawk, owl, woodpecker, and the endangered marbled
murrelet call Big Basin home. And of course there are always plenty of
banana slugs !
From www.bigbasin.org
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