close

Little Basin State Park Camping

notifications Text me when there's a cancellation at Little Basin State Park
Little Basin State Park - Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia
Little Basin State Park - Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia
Little Basin State Park - Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia
Little Basin State Park - Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia
Little Basin State Park - Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia

Campgrounds

Campgrounds in Little Basin State Park

Creekside Area

Little Basin State Park

Derksen Grove

Little Basin State Park

Huckleberry Area

Little Basin State Park

Stargazers Area

Little Basin State Park

Woodfern Area

Little Basin State Park

Overview

A brief introduction to Little Basin State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about 36 km (22 mi) northwest of Santa Cruz. 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-shaped depression.
Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902, earning its designation as a California Historical Landmark. Its original 3,800 acres (15 km2) have been increased over the years to over 18,000 acres (73 km2). It is part of the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion and is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. It contains 10,800 acres (44 km2) of old-growth forest as well as recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral and riparian habitats. 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 (81 mi) of trails. Some of these trails link Big Basin to Castle Rock State Park and the eastern reaches of the Santa Cruz range. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail threads its way through the park along Waddell Creek to Waddell Beach, and the adjacent Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, a freshwater marsh.
The park has many waterfalls, a wide variety of environments (from lush canyon bottoms to sparse chaparral-covered slopes), many species of mammals (deer, raccoons, an occasional bobcat) and abundant bird life – including Steller's jays, egrets, herons and acorn woodpeckers.
The CZU Lightning Complex fires in August 2020 burned over 97% of Big Basin and destroyed the park headquarters, closing the park for 2 years during rebuilding efforts before it reopened in Summer 2022.

Read more about Little Basin State Park at Wikipedia

ARE Little Basin State Park campsites SOLD OUT?

We can help! Many campsite reservations are cancelled daily. Just tell us when you’d like to camp at Little Basin State Park, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll text you when a suitable spot opens up!

Scan for cancellations

Contact Little Basin State Park

Spotted an error?

Whoops! Sometimes we make mistakes. Want to help improve the Little Basin State Park listing? Please suggest a correction.

Other nearby parks

Open to camping at other nearby parks? Here are a few other parks you'll find in the vicinity.

Reviews

Camper reviews for Little Basin State Park

Post a review for Little Basin State Park

Be the first to post a review of Little Basin State Park!

How was your visit to Little Basin State Park? Share your review of Little Basin State Park and help fellow nature-lovers make an informed decision.

Post a review
Please be nice. Around here, we try to be helpful, inclusive, and constructive.

Map

View a map of Little Basin State Park

UNABLE TO RESERVE A CAMPSITE?

Get notified when a sold-out campground has availability

Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!

Create a scan