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America, Bay Area Hiking Trails, Hiking and Camping Stories

Visiting Local Parks (#6): Big Basin Redwoods State Park

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Big Basin hike is a magic if you do it for the first time, and it’s a real treat whenever you get a chance to do it again.

Great thing about living in Bay Area is your closeness to giant nature. There are endless options to explore beautiful redwoods forests, waterfalls, and seaside cliffs. Here today I would like to share one of my favorite hiking destinations in Northern California that offers wide variety of natural appeals in one hike. Big Basin hike is a magic if you do it for the first time, and it’s a real treat whenever you get a chance to do it again.

008Big Basin Redwoods State Park
(Sunset Trail to Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail loop – 10 mi.)

GPS Coordination to trail head: 37.1721760, -122.2223220
Parking/Entrance = $10 per vehicle.
Hiking distance/Time: 10 mi./5-6 Hours.
Difficulty: Moderate~Strenuous.
Best season to hike: Great hike year around.
Things to bring: 2L of water and packed lunch/light snack, majority of trail is shaded but recommended to bring sunscreen and hat.

If you are starting from San Francisco you can get to the park in about 1 hour and 40 minute drive. Majority of time you will be driving through the winding mountain roads on 35 and 9 and 236. You will lose mobile service once you enter the mountain so be sure to set the GPS coordination on your satellite navigator (e.g., Google Maps) to reach the Park Headquarters.

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  1. Sunset Trail (5 mi.)

From Park Headquarters keep walking towards the second parking area located about 0.2 mi. north of the fee pay area (follow the red line below).CaptureTurn left to cross the wooden bridge where you will see the sign to Dool Trail. Take Dool Trail which split to Sunset Trail at the junction. You will be on Sunset Trail for the first half part of hike.
Here’s how hiking on Sunset Trail is like:

Stay on Sunset Trail for the first half of hike.
Air is chill in the redwoods forest especially during the morning.
Occasionally, fallen redwoods obstract the manmade trail.
Giant redwoods with gaping hollow.
Taking in the beautiful shapes and forms of nature.
Curving through giant redwoods forests on Sunset Trail.

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About 3 miles into the hike, you will come across the junction that branches out to Timms Creek Trail (forward) and Sunset Trail (to the right). This is the part where you may rally up your hikemates to decide whether to continue on Sunset Trail (steeper – 3 miles) or take Timms Creek Trail to Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail (mild – 2 miles) to reach the beautiful Berry Creek Falls. Either trail will end at Berry Creek Falls so it is totally up to the hikers’ mood. However, the latter trail excludes additional enticement of two pretty falls: Golden Cascade and Silver Falls.

021 2. Berry Creek Falls Trail (1 mi.)

Once you pass 2 miles of another scenic woodsy trail (if you continued on Sunset Trail) you will reach Golden Cascade which is just an ample down from Sunset Camp (lucky if you are camping there). This is the beginning of Berry Creek Trail and the sign of relaxing downward hike to Berry Creek Falls.

Golden Cascade
Hikers along the Berry Creek Falls Trail to Silver Falls.
Silver Falls
Lunch break on top of Berry Creek Falls.
Hikers resting on top of Berry Creek Falls.
Berry Creek Falls
High noon daylight shines on Berry Creek Falls from right above. Perfect time of day to visit this beautiful waterfall.

Berry Creek Falls is a gorgeous waterfall tucked deep inside the redwoods forest. Best time to visit this waterfall is at high noon when the sun is directly above and the ray of sunshine is illuminating the velvety glow perfectly. While the viewing platform is way too tiny for group to stay for eternity, you may find good lunch spot above the waterfall by the creek.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park - Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail3. Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail (4 mi.)

After Berry Creek Falls, follow the creek to continue on Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail that takes you back to Park Headquarters. Although you have already seen the most exciting part of the hike, this return route features impressive ancient redwoods and siblings of Sequoia giants. The last part of this trail becomes quite hilly to the peak of Middle Ridge and offers reasonable finale to epic 10 miler!

Fallen trees over the creek near Timms Creek Trail junction.
A lady on the trail told me this tree is sibling of giant Sequoia.
A final glance at Berry Creek Falls as we diverge into the hilly trail.

Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail will bring you right back to the Park Headquarters. If the sun is still high, go drive to Santa Cruz and take advantage of daylight in the seaside town. Alternatively, you can also drive back to San Francisco and have a perfect pint of beer at local brewery (what we did).

Questions? Feel free to leave in the comments.
Have fun out there!

 

Interested in buying the original print of my photos? Drop me a message in comment!!

America, Bay Area Hiking Trails, Hiking and Camping Stories, Local

Visiting Local Parks (#5): Horse Heaven Trail to Mission Peak

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There is a place in Bay Area that resembles the beautiful country side of UK.

Horse Heaven Trail in Mission Peak Regional Preserve is easily the most quenching trek experience for folks like me who is bored of woody and rocky hiking trails that are common in Northern California. Pastel tones of soft green and azure blue sky are refreshing reminder of scenes I’ve seen in Connemara — a serene district in the west of Ireland — with gentle rolling hills populated by cows and calves and the iron gates partitioning the section of trails. Within a few steps into this trail I was quickly transported back to the adventurous days spent in the UK wilderness.

As photogenic and well preserved as it is, Mission Peak Regional Preserve is surprisingly accessible from the city while it is also zen like peaceful. Consequently, hiking up to Mission Peak is one of the most popular activities amongst silicon minds and easy trails like Hidden Valley and Peak Meadow Trails are generally over crowded.

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For more information about Mission Peak Regional Preserve check out the park district website here.

America, Bay Area Hiking Trails, Etcetera, Local

Visiting Local Parks (#3): Lands End and Mile Rock Beach, San Francisco

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“Can I point out something to you?”

Said the old lady who was on her return route from stroll around the park with her daughter and her husband. The lady pointed her hand towards the newly built loft across the street from the park entrance. The window on the loft was glistening with blissful sunlight and reflecting branches of tree on its surface; its shape ever so changing as the clouds veil the sun and soften the tree image.

“I’ve never seen that before…doesn’t it look like photograph?”

I nodded and watched the sun reappears from the edges of clouds to paint the image of tree on perfectly quadrilateral window.

“This city has so many things to take picture about.”

The lady smiled and wished me a good photo hike on the Lands End.

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Lands End is perhaps the San Franciscans’ most beloved evening run/hike spot that is more accessible and as scenic as Point Reyes on the North side of Golden Gate Bridge.

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From the northern tip of peninsula on Eagle’s Point, the perfect view of Golden Gate Bridge greets you with its shockingly red charm.

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The trail that enters from the east side of park on Eagle’s Point via El Camino del Mar offers much powerful views of nature compared to the west side of park near Sutro Bath (I have photos of this part of Lands End in this post).
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Lands End is quite big park to explore, and for avid photographers some hidden overlooks are just too beautiful to miss out.

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One particularly beautiful spot along the northern coast is Mile Rock Beach. There is a strange stone labyrinth on top of the hill.

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Mile Rock Beach dressed in the setting sun. The mists started to roll down from the hills to envelop this quiet beach.

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Lands End is part of Golden Gate National Park and it is located at the northwestern tip of San Francisco. Park is accessible by bus and trails are generally in great condition. Highly recommended for evening hike to catch the astonishing sunset by the Pacific as well as iconic view of Golden Gate Bridge.

Lands End Brochure

The trail I took on today’s hike starts from the east end of park from El Camino del Mar through Eagle’s Point and Mile Rock Beach. Mild 2-3 miles round trip with plenty of oceanic vistas and peaceful ambiance. Highlight is the sunset from the top of cliff on Mile Rock Beach.