Big Basin Redwoods State Park - California's oldest state park at bigbasin.org

I had a custom report training job in Mt. View, CA circa 1994.  Since the sponsoring company was paying my expenses, they insisted on booking my room in Sunnyvale and the flight into San Jose.  The session was supposed to be Monday through Thursday so I expected to fly in on Sunday then out on Friday; however, they booked a Saturday flight because they would pay much less when spanning a Saturday night.

As I flew over the Sierra Nevada range, I looked out to see Yosemite in all of its grandeur.  I could see Half Dome, El Capitan, the Valley and other parts of the park that I had never seen from the ground.  This fired me up to try to see some park(s) while on the trip.  In 1975 I had been to the Muir Woods National Monument (which I highly recommend for the redwoods) past Sausalito that I could have gotten to by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge but that would have meant that I would have to drive through San Francisco - yuk.  I decided there was not time for that nor was there time to zip over to Yosemite.  So I decided to drive through Silicon Valley since I had not done that before.

As I looked at the map that night, I saw that if I went down Hwy 9 thru Saratoga past Castle Rock State Park that I could climb up (2000') to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.  Off I went.  When I got to the visitor center, I found that there was a Redwoods Trail and a Sequoia Trail each of which I took.  So one could see these fantastic trees without having to go to Yosemite or another national park.  There is also a trail to view the Pacific that would take me too long (Skyline to the Sea Trail I think - 7 hours or so for round trip) so I passed.  This is a nice park that nobody seems to know about so that is why I am posting it!  So, if you get stuck with an extra day in the San Francisco area you have some 'park' options as opposed to 'city' options.  To the south there is Big Basin Redwoods where you can continue to Santa Cruz then scenic Hwy 1 returning to San Francisco on the Pacific Ocean side.  To the north, there is the Muir Woods and Pt. Reyes (have never been to this one but I heard it is good).

By the way, on the flight back I tried to see Yosemite but failed because of clouds and a different flight path.  I am thankful that I was able to see it on the way in and thankful for Saturday nights.

Bill, I think I'm just going to get you to send me a map of the places you've been so we can follow in your footsteps.  :)

For anyone who likes the natural beauty of our country, you have to take a driving trip through California and see the Redwoods and the Sequoias.  They are magnificient, you feel as if you are in a cathedral, in fact, you are in a cathedral, one built by God, not man.

And if you have the opportunity, do it not only in warm weather but in winter time.  I don't have the words to describe them adequately.