Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains protects nearly the entire Waddell Creek watershed across more than 18,000 acres, from coastal forest to sunny ridge tops. Established in 1902 as California’s first state park after a Sempervirens Club campaign, it preserved extensive old-growth coast redwood forest while logging was rapidly shrinking it elsewhere. The park also holds evidence of much older Indigenous presence, including Ohlone communities along its waterways. Known for the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco, it includes rich wildlife, diverse habitats, and a long recreational history. The August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires devastated much of the park, but recovery and partial reopening followed.

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