| Big Basin Redwoods State Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location | California, United States |
| Nearest city | Santa Cruz, California |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 18,000 acres (73 km²) |
| Established | 1902 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks & Recreation |
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County about 36 km (23 miles) northwest of Santa Cruz. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system State Park is a term used in the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty historic interest recreation or other A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The park contains almost all of the Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the seismic uplift of its rim and the erosion of its center by the many streams in its bowl-like depression. Waddell Creek is the name given to both the creek and the watershed that run through Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes
Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. State Park is a term used in the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty historic interest recreation or other Its original 3,800 acres (15 km²) have been increased over the years to over 18,000 acres (73 km²). 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. Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Chaparral is a Shrubland or heathland Plant community found primarily in the U "Riparian" redirects here For the legal doctrine see " Riparian water rights. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 600 m (2,000 ft). The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops.
The park has over 130 km (80 miles) of trails. Some of these trails link Big Basin to Castle Rock State Park and the eastern reaches of the Santa Cruz range. Not to be confused with Castle Rock Park located in the East Bay Castle Rock State Park, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a Mountain range in central California, United States. 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 Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is a 295 mile (472 km hiking trail that descends from the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California to the Theodore J Hoover Natural Preserve, which includes Waddell Marsh is located at the mouth of Waddell Creek, a coastal freshwater marsh that is one of the rarest habitats on In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject
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 Acorn woodpeckers. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The raccoon ( Procyon lotor) (sometimes spelt as racoon) also known as the common raccoon, North American raccoon, northern raccoon The Bobcat ( Lynx rufus) is a North American Mammal of the cat family Felidae. The Steller's Jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri) is a Jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the This is an article about a type of bird For the EGRET satellite mission see Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope. The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons The Acorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized Woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g
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History of the basin
In contrast to the redwood trees, many of which have seen more than 1,500 summers in Big Basin, humans are much more recent visitors. Although Native American Ohlone people passed through these forests gathering tan oak acorns, huckleberries and perhaps hunting deer and small game, they did not inhabit the Big Basin area. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Ohlone people also known as the Costanoan and as the Muwekma, are the indigenous people of Northern California who have lived in the Lithocarpus densiflorus, commonly known as the Tanoak or Tanbark-oak, is an Evergreen Tree in the beech family Fagaceae The acorn is the nut of the Oak tree (genera Quercus, Lithocarpus and Cyclobalanopsis, in the A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This may have been due to religious respect for the trees or fear of the grizzly bears. The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis, also known as the Silvertip Bear, is a Subspecies of Brown bear (Ursus arctos that lives But it may have been simply because food was more abundant and weather was milder along the shores of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions
In October of 1769 the Portola expedition 'discovered' the redwoods of southern Santa Cruz County, and camped at the mouth of Waddell Creek, in present-day Big Basin, later that month. The Portola expedition, led by Gaspar de Portolà from July 14 1769 to January 24 1770, was the first known recorded attempt Although many in the party had been ill with scurvy, they gorged themselves on berries and quickly recovered. Scurvy (NLat scorbutus is a disease resulting from a deficiency of Vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of Collagen in humans The word berry has two meanings one based on a botanical definition the other on common identification This miraculous recovery, as it seemed at the time, inspired the name given to the valley: 'Cañada de la Salud' or Canyon of Health.
By the late 1800s, redwood forests were gaining international appreciation. Early conservationists, including such notables as Andrew P. Hill, Father Robert Kenna, Carrie Stevens Walter and Josephine McCracken, led the movement to create a park to preserve the mighty redwoods. Andrew Putnam Hill (1853-1922 was an early Californian painter and photographer best known for successfully leading an effort in 1901 to save a forest of large redwoods On May 19, 1900, the Sempervirens Club was formed at the base of Slippery Rock, within the present day park. Sempervirens Fund, originally established in 1900 as Sempervirens Club, is California 's oldest land conservation. In 1902, the California Redwood Park was created in Big Basin on 3800 acres (15 km²), most of it old growth forest.
In the following decades, visitation to Big Basin grew steadily as park amenities were developed. The Big Basin Inn offered cabins to rent, a restaurant, general store, barber shop, gas station and photographic studio. There were also a post office, swimming and boating areas, tennis courts and a dance floor. Campsites cost 50 cents a night in 1927 and many families stayed all summer. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps assigned a company to Big Basin. Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC) was a Work relief program for young men from unemployed families established on March 21, 1933, by U These men built the amphitheater, miles of trails, and many of the buildings still used today. An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue for spectator sports concerts rallies or theatrical performances
Plantlife
Although redwoods dominate the landscape, many other plant species are common in Big Basin. One will certainly see Douglas-fir, tan oak, madrone and wax myrtle trees in the park. Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Lithocarpus densiflorus, commonly known as the Tanoak or Tanbark-oak, is an Evergreen Tree in the beech family Fagaceae Arbutus is a Genus of at least 14 species of Flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean Myrica is a genus of about 35-50 species of small Trees and Shrubs in the family Myricaceae order Fagales Competing for sunshine are also many shrubs such as huckleberries, western azalea, and many varieties of ferns. A shrub or Bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of Woody plant, distinguished from a Tree Rhododendron occidentale ( Western Azalea) is one of two Deciduous Rhododendron species native to western North America A fern is any one of a group of about 20000 Species of Plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta Spring and summer bring the wildflowers: redwood sorrel, salal, redwood violets, trillium, star lily and mountain iris. A wildflower (or wild flower) is a Flower that grows wild meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted Redwood sorrel ( Oxalis oregana) is a species of the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae, native to moist Douglas-fir and Coast Redwood forests Salal or shallon ( Gaultheria shallon, Ericaceae) is a leathery-leaved shrub native to western North America. Trillium is a genus of about 40-50 species of perennial herbaceous Flowering plants native to temperate regions of North America and Asia Hypoxis ( African potato, Star-grass, Star lily, Yellow stars, Yellow star-grass) is a Genus of plant belonging The rains of fall and winter deliver hundreds of kinds of fungi in a startling variety of shapes, sizes and colors. A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ
Upon climbing to higher elevations, one will find the forest growing thinner, as redwoods are replaced by more drought-tolerant species. The higher, drier ridges and slopes of Big Basin are typically full of chaparral vegetation: knobcone pines, chinquapin and buckeye create the canopy, with ceanothus, manzanita, chaparral pea and chamise growing dense and low. Chaparral is a Shrubland or heathland Plant community found primarily in the U The Knobcone Pine ( Pinus attenuata) is a Tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils Chestnut ( Castanea) (including some chinkapin or Chinquapin) is a Genus of eight or nine Species of Deciduous Ceanothus L is a Genus of about 50–60 species of Shrubs or small Trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The Manzanitas are a subgenus of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen Shrubs or small Trees present in the Chaparral Pickeringia is a monotypic genus containing only the legume Pickeringia montana, which is known by the common name chaparral pea Adenostoma fasciculatum ( Chamise or Greasewood) is a Flowering plant native to California and northern Baja California Adding a splash of color are wildflowers such as Indian paintbrush, monkey flower, bush poppies and yerba santa. Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or Prairie-fire, is a Genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial Mimulus is a diverse Plant Genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. Dendromecon rigida, also called Bush poppy, is a shrub or small tree of the Papaveraceae native to California and Baja California Yerba santa or hierba santa mean "sacred herb" in Spanish.
Near the mouth of Waddell Creek is the Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, a freshwater marsh that is rare because it has been relatively undisturbed. Theodore J Hoover Natural Preserve, which includes Waddell Marsh is located at the mouth of Waddell Creek, a coastal freshwater marsh that is one of the rarest habitats on This special place provides habitat for a wide variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and The nearby Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center interprets the cultural and natural history of the area. Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center interprets the cultural and natural history of the area of Rancho del Oso -- ranch of the bear -- which became part of California 's
Wildlife
A wide variety of animals live within Big Basin, many of which can be seen by visitors.
Amongst mammals, Black-tailed deer, gray squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons are common, but foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and opossums are also present. The Black-tailed deer, or Blacktail deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) is a species of Deer found in western North America, specifically the Chipmunk is the common name for any small Squirrel -like Rodent species of the genus Tamias in the family Sciuridae. The raccoon ( Procyon lotor) (sometimes spelt as racoon) also known as the common raccoon, North American raccoon, northern raccoon A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The Bobcat ( Lynx rufus) is a North American Mammal of the cat family Felidae. Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Mountain lions are known to live in the park but are extremely rare. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family Grizzly bears are extinct in California, but were numerous in the past. The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis, also known as the Silvertip Bear, is a Subspecies of Brown bear (Ursus arctos that lives In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa.
Bird life is abundant throughout the park. Steller's jays and acorn woodpeckers are both seen and heard, and the dark-eyed junco is widespread. The Steller's Jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri) is a Jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the The Acorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized Woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g The Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis, is the best-known Species of the Juncos a genus of small greyish American sparrows This Less obvious are the brown creeper, Anna's hummingbird, common flicker, olive-sided flycatcher and sharp-shinned hawk. For the similarly named Australian bird see Brown Treecreeper. The Anna's Hummingbird ( Calypte anna) is a medium-sized Hummingbird. The Olive-sided Flycatcher, Contopus cooperi, is a Passerine Bird. The Sharp-shinned Hawk ( Accipiter striatus) is a small Hawk. The first marbled murrelet nest ever sighted was located in Big Basin not far from the park headquarters. The Marbled Murrelet ( Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small Seabird from the North Pacific. These robin-sized seabirds nest high in the oldest Douglas-firs and redwoods to feed their young. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. They can be seen or heard at dawn and dusk, high above the forest canopy.
Many reptiles are also present, but aside from the ubiquitous Coast Range subspecies of the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii), most are rarely seen due to their shy behavior. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers The Western Fence Lizard ( Sceloporus occidentalis) is a common Lizard of California and surrounding areas The only dangerous reptile in the park is the Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), found almost exclusively in the high, dry chaparral. Common names: western rattlesnake northern Pacific rattlesnake Pacific rattlesnake more.
The damp, shady woodland floor is home to a variety of amphibians. Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and Commonly seen species include the California Newt (Taricha torosa torosa), Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla), and Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris). Subspecies California newts a species of toxic amphibian living in the United States are divided into two subspecies Sierra newt ( Taricha torosa sierrae The Pacific Tree Frog ( Pseudacris regilla) is a very common Species of Chorus frog, with a range from the West Coast of the United States Aneides lugubris, the Arboreal salamander, is a species of climbing salamander. Less commonly seen are the the Black Salamander (Aneides flavipunctatus) and California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus) and the endangered California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii). UserPolbot. -->The Black Salamander ( Aneides flavipunctatus) is a species of Salamander in the UserPolbot. -->The California Giant Salamander or Pacific Giant Salamander ( Dicamptodon ensatus) is The California Red-legged Frog is a moderate to large (44-14 cm Species of Frog. Particularly intriguing are banana slugs (Ariolimax spp. Banana slugs are any Species of the pulmonate Gastropod Genus Ariolimax, (literally " Arion 's slug" ), which can reach 6 inches long.
California Sisters (Adelpha bredowii) are prominent butterfly denizens, fluttering high in the canopies above the trails. The California Sister ( Limenitis bredowii californica) is a Butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Accessibility
Big Basin can be approached from the east, through redwood forest and coastal mountains, or from the coast, along State Route 1. State Route 1, often called Highway 1, is a State highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U The eastern route, over State Route 9 through Saratoga and smaller towns like Boulder Creek is more popular because of the famous trees. State Route 9 in the US state of California is mainly a rural and mountainous route that travels 35 miles (56 km from SR 1 near Santa Cruz This route passes Castle Rock State Park (California) on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz range. Not to be confused with Castle Rock Park located in the East Bay Castle Rock State Park, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains,
From SR 1, Gazos Creek road offers a pleasant fire-road route for mountain bikes (road closed to motor vehicles), which can then descend into the headquarters area or turn off on Johansen fire road to join China Grade above its intersection with State Route 236. State Route 236 is a short 18-mile (29 km "C" shaped highway that links to State Route 9 at both ends in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The park is about an hour and a half south of San Francisco, or five hours north of Los Angeles. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
See also
- List of California state parks
- Santa Cruz Mountains
- Pacific Coast Highway (US)
- Castle Rock State Park (California)
External links
This is a list of parks and reserves in the California State Park system The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a Mountain range in central California, United States. State Route 1, often called Highway 1, is a State highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U Not to be confused with Castle Rock Park located in the East Bay Castle Rock State Park, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains,Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic