Pile burns are scheduled through April at a number of state parks in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, including the Forest of Nisene Marks, Henry Cowell and Big Basin.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Coverage of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains and its recovery from the disastrous 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire.
Posted inLatest News
Young children among 3 lost hikers rescued from Big Basin State Park
Three hikers, including two young children showing signs of hypothermia, were rescued late Sunday night from a remote trail in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, authorities said.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
New guide to Big Basin’s Redwood Loop published
A new guide to the Redwood Loop Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park has been published. Written by a team of biologists and environmental scientists, it addresses the effects of the catastrophic 2020 fire on the park and the long-term changes to the landscape that it ushered in, including the impact on plants and animals in the park.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Tree-huggers rejoice: New documentary celebrates the majesty of the coast redwood
“Giants Rising” is a new documentary about the ecological, cultural and historical significance of the majestic coast redwood. Locals will find particular significance in the story of the recovery of Big Basin Redwoods State Park after the CZU fires. It screens Monday at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An artist’s-eye view of the ecological renewal at Big Basin
Big Basin Redwoods State Park invited 18 local visual artists to meditate on what California’s oldest state park has become since the devastating CZU fires of 2020. Those artistic interpretations are now ready for the public and will be on display this Saturday.
Posted inLatest News
New land transfers, proposed state legislation look to give Big Basin’s post-CZU recovery another boost
With nonprofit Sempervirens Fund set to transfer two new Santa Cruz County properties to the iconic state park torched in the 2020 CZU fire and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin advancing a bill to speed California State Parks’ land acquisition, 2025 could see big progress on the visitor experience at Big Basin Redwoods.
Posted inEnvironment
‘We are in a new era’: A year after reopening, how far has Big Basin come — and how far does it still need to go?
Big Basin Redwoods State Park has made big strides since its reopening a year ago, with more trails and campgrounds reopened to the public now than over the last two years. However, the park in its current state is ‘almost unrecognizable’ from its pre-2020 iteration, parks officials say, even after nearly three years of intensive restoration work. Now, California State Parks is beginning the process of studying what kinds of new permanent facilities will be built in the park, and where.
Posted inEnvironment
State Parks studies new amenities for Big Basin visitors center lost to CZU fire
Nearly three years after the CZU Lightning Complex fires severely damaged Big Basin Redwoods State Park, officials are embarking on a public process to determine how to rebuild some of the facilities lost to fire and make the park more resilient to climate change. The Sempervirens Fund will host a free online webinar Tuesday to kick off public correspondence.
Posted inUncategorized
Big Basin is back, and redwoods deliver a tonic for our times
The beloved state park in the Santa Cruz Mountains was radically reshaped by the 2020 CZU Complex fire, beginning its gradual reopening only in recent weeks. In the shoots of green amid the charred trees, Wallace Baine sees a hopeful message about how nature and humanity alike can sprout anew after trauma.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Big Basin Redwoods State Park partially reopens to visitors July 22
For the first time since the CZU Complex fire devastated Big Basin Redwoods State Park in 2020, visitors can explore a limited part of the park again starting July 22. Officials will limit the number of visitors to ensure their safety in the forest and provide a good visitor experience.