20 Attractions to Explore Near Big Basin Redwoods State Park

This is a state park of California showcasing a secluded redwood-filled canyon. The park features miles of hiking trails, 21 drive-in campsites, and 18 walk-in campsites, restrooms and more. Guided nature walk and weekend campfire programs are offered during the summer.

Año Nuevo State Park is a state park of California which are known for their pinniped rookeries. Located in San Mateo County. The reserve contains a diversity of plant communities, including old growth forest, freshwater marsh, red alder riparian forest and knobcone pine forest.

This is a state park that was located in San Mateo county. There are so many things to see in and around the park and are the park's primary watercourses, and feature numerous tributaries. It includes hiking trails, a small car-camping campground of about 50 campsites, four group campsites, and 6 trail sites at Slate Creek Trail Camp. Portola Redwoods State Park is also home to the site of Page shingle Mill.

Pescadero Creek Park is located near Loma Mar and is operated by the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The park complex of 8,020 acres also includes the neighboring Memorial, Sam McDonald and Heritage Grove parks. The park borders Portola Redwoods State Park with seamless trails, and connects to Big Basin Redwoods State Park via a trail easement across private lands.

This is a forested retreat not far from the coast. Many campsites in Memorial Park Campground are among the redwood trees and all sites are within easy walking distance of Pescadero Creek. A swimming hole there is popular in the summer. There are also group sites, some of them designated for youth groups. Reservations for all campsites can be made for up a year in advance. A seasonal camp store is located near the park entrance.

It is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse in the area. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The lighthouse is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a California Historical Landmark.

This is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The lighthouse and the land around have been preserved as Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, a California state park. The lighthouse is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated as a California Historical Landmark.

Castle Rock State Park is a 5,242-acre state park of California, United States, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It embraces coast redwood, Douglas fir, and madrone forest, most of which has been left in its wild, natural state. Steep canyons are sprinkled with unusual rock formations that are a popular rock climbing area. The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles of hiking trails.

An 850-acre park of lush redwood forest, ridges, and grassy knolls, ideal for equestrian excursions and hiking.Trails climb up to a ridgeline with views across the Pescadero Creek valley, Butano Ridge, and the Pacific Ocean. The park includes Heritage Grove and borders Pescadero Creek County Park through which it connects to Memorial County Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Horseback riding is popular here, and many use Ja ck Brook Horse Camp.

Bean Hollow State Beach is a beach in the state park system of California. It includes two sheltered coves, separated by a rocky point. The southern cove was once called Arroyo de Los Frijoles and marked the southern extent of Rancho Butano. The beach also has a self-guided nature trail. Swimming is dangerous because of cold water, rip currents, heavy surf and sharks.

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This 3,137-acre preserve known for its showy display of wildflowers in spring. In summer, the hills turn to gold with the late evening sunlight. Diverse plant communities, miles of forest edge, and abundant springs make Russian Ridge an outstanding habitat for wildlife.

Pescadero State Beach is alongside in the route of San Mateo County California. The beach has a mile-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots, and picnic facilities. Across the highway are Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, a popular spot for bird watchers and other naturalists.

Sanborn County Park is a 3,453 acres public park situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains owned by the county of Santa Clara, California, adjacent to Castle Rock State Park and the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club Range and Santa Clara County Peace Officers Association gun range. The park is managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. The park is heavily forested and offers hiking and other generally low intensity outdoor uses.

This is a 3,133-acre open space preserve, located near Palo Alto in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California, United States. The preserve encompasses the upper Stevens Creek watershed in the valley between Monte Bello Ridge and Skyline Ridge. "Monte Bello" means "beautiful mountain" in Italian, and refers to Black Mountain which is the highest part of Montebello Ridge.

This is a mountain in the Diablo Range of eastern Santa Clara County, east of Poverty Ridge and Arroyo Hondo, and about 10 miles from Milpitas.The peak is one of the highest in area. The northern half of Black Mountain is an oak woodlands while the southern half is barren. Black Mountain can be clearly seen from most parts of the Santa Clara Valley including Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View and San Jose. The peak is visible from the Mount Hamilton and Monument Peak.

The Mountain Winery is a concert and event venue in unincorporated Saratoga, located at the site of the former Paul Masson winery. It was founded by Paul Masson, a pioneer of the California wine industry. The winery became famous for its slogan, voiced by Orson Welles in television commercials: "We will sell no wine before its time." ​​​​​​​It comprises a wine tasting room, winery plaza building, plaza deck building, office and storage facility, box Office, and garden terrace.

Pomponio is one of the larger beach parks along Rte 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. It is made up of several miles of sloping, sandy beaches and a small lagoon below high sandstone bluffs. There are hiking trails and beach access. No camping is available. Dogs and campfires are not permitted on the beach.

18-acre (7.3 ha) traditional Japanese garden recognized as one of the oldest Japanese-style residential garden in the Western Hemisphere. Notable features include a bamboo garden, a Zen garden, a strolling garden (the Hill and Pond Garden), tea houses, and the Cultural Exchange Center.

The Montalvo Arts Center is a center for the arts in Saratoga, California, United States. Open to the public, Montalvo comprises a cultural and arts center, a park, hiking trails and the historic Villa Montalvo, an Italian Mediterranean Revival mansion nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.The arts center maintains the estate in partnership with Santa Clara County. The mansion is a historic landmark, and in 1978 it was awarded inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

This is an attractive preserve on some low hills just outside Saratoga. Its grassy hills interspersed with stands of eucalyptus trees gives it a unique ranch-like appearance. The preserve contains 14.7 miles of hiking trails, nearly all open to equestrians and bicycles. The preserve contains many miles of trails and connects with other nearby locations, such as Stevens Creek County Park and Montebello Open Space Preserve.