Big Basin Redwood State Park near Waddell Beach

This was an amazing hike, not to be missed!

We parked at the parking lot on Waddell Beach and then hiked up past the marsh to get on the final leg of the Skyline to the Sea Bypass Trail. Then we followed along the main trail basically until we got tired, at which point we turned around. The trail eventually goes all the way to Castle Rock State Park; it is the last leg of the 31-mile trail developed by the Sempervirens Fund. Most people who hike the entirety of the trail start at the top of the hike and then descend down from Castle Rock, through the main campus of Big Basin Redwoods State Park (famous for its old-growth redwoods), until eventually ending at the sea. It is normally a 3-day backpacking adventure. I have to say that I was pretty inspired by the backpackers I saw at the end of the trail! Here is a link to one person's experience of the hike.

The section of the trail that we hiked is remarkably flat because it follows along Waddell Creek. We saw beautiful maples, aspens, and redwoods. Basically, you can just follow the trail up as far as you want and then turn around. One really good goal to shoot for is to try to make it to Berry Falls. It's a 12-mile round trip to Berry Falls from Waddell Beach. We probably went about 6 miles total on this hike. Then, when we returned to our car parked at the beach, we cooled our feet off in Pacific Ocean!

I loved everything about this hike. And while I do want to one day try the 3-day backpacking adventure, what we did today is accessible for people who are not in backpacking shape and just want to hike from the redwoods to the beach.

The park also offers the Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center if you want to further explore the Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve, a freshwater marsh.

(Encore hike)