Big Basin

Just a wee bit north of Santa Cruz, this giant state park is California's oldest (est. 1902). It's a great spot for tackling a long, rewarding hike: Berry Creek Loop. As for camping, Big Basin is Big, so depending on where you're camped, be prepared to either walk awhile or drive just to get to the trail-head.

The allure of Berry Creek Loop is the series of waterfalls at the halfway point, so while you could hypothetically make the hike shorter by going in a few miles and then backtracking, you'd be missing the best part. You can get to the falls by doing the full 12-mile loop, or by coming back the way you came--but that only shaves about 1-2 miles off the distance. If you can hike 10+ miles, you can probably hike 12 miles, so do the loop. Why? Because it's a LOOP! You don't have to see the same stuff twice. And by "stuff" I mean giant redwoods, butterflies, manzanitas, nice little creeks, banana slugs, and blue jays that know no fear.

Buy a trail map--they're $3 and well worth it, especially when you're trying to track your progress. Start at the park HQ and find your way to the Sunset Trail. (The signs are confusing so you might want to ask a park ranger for directions.) Take this west to the Berry Creek Trail, then head south to the Skyline to the Sea Trail. This takes you back to the park HQ.

My girlfriend and I were there at a busy time, just before July 4th, but we didn't see too many people on the trail. Despite the sign warning the hikers that the trail would be strenuous, it was actually a nice mix of mild ascents and descents the whole way. I think the distance is really what qualifies it as strenuous.

As for camping, you can't reserve a specific site before you arrive. We ended up at Huckleberry campground. We were told that our campsite (#43) was "secluded"--and it was, except for the people camping right next to us. Other than that, it was a nice, small spot away from the road and sheltered by foliage on three sides. Other sites at Huckleberry looked less private and closer to the road.

Being big and all, Big Basin has lots of amenities. The bathrooms were nice and the showers were especially refreshing after the 12-mile hike. There’s also a well-equipped general store back at HQ in case you forget anything. Like DEET. Which you will need. The mosquitoes at our campsite were relentless. Those redwoods keep the climate just right for them.

To sum up: Big Basin isn’t the best place to camp if you really want to get away from it all. But the facilities are great, and it’s worth it to camp for two nights so you can wake up there, hike Berry Creek Loop at your own pace, and then stay one more night before rushing back to wherever you call home.