Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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| Big Basin Redwoods | |
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Missing image LocMap_BigBasinRedwoods.jpg image:LocMap_BigBasinRedwoods.jpg | |
| Designation | State Park |
| Location | California, United States |
| Nearest City | Santa Cruz |
| Latitude | 37° 10' 12" N |
| Longitude | 122° 13' 32" W |
| Area | 18,000 acres (73 km²) |
| Date of Establishment | 1902 |
| Governing Bodies | California Department of Parks & Recreation |
| IUCN category | II (National Park) |
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a California state park, located in Santa Cruz County. Big Basin 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 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 (600 m). The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops.
The park has over 80 miles (130 km) of trails. Some of these 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 large number of waterfalls, a wide variety of environments (from lush canyon bottoms to sparse chaparral-covered slopes, many animals (deer, raccoons, an occasional bobcat) and lots of bird life -- including Steller's jays, egrets, herons and California woodpeckers.
External links
- Official California State Parks site for Big Basin Redwoods (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=540)
- Unofficial site for Big Basin Redwoods State Park (http://www.bigbasin.org/)
- Photos of Big Basin Redwoods State Park (http://www.terragalleria.com/california/california.big-basin-redwoods.html)