Sempervirens Falls Loop Trail Reopens
What you need to know: Big Basin Redwoods State Park is bringing back its summer weekend shuttle program beginning May 23, while also reopening the popular Sempervirens Falls loop trail for the first time since the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
Visitors heading to Big Basin Redwoods State Park this summer will once again have shuttle access into the park on weekends and holidays, as California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks relaunch the seasonal transportation program beginning Memorial Day weekend.
The shuttle program, first piloted in 2024 and 2025, is designed to improve visitor access while redevelopment and recovery efforts continue across California’s oldest state park following the devastating CZU Lightning Complex Fire. 
At the same time, hikers will gain access to one of the park’s most anticipated trail reopenings. The 2.9-mile Sequoia Trail, which leads to Sempervirens Falls, officially reopens May 22 for the first time since the fire. Combined with a stretch of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, visitors can now complete a 4.3-mile loop through recovering redwood forest and past the park’s scenic 20-foot waterfall.
More than 230,000 people have visited Big Basin since its partial reopening in July 2022. Since then, the park has restored more than 20 miles of trails, opened an interim visitor center, and reintroduced camping on the coast side of the park through the walk-in and bike-in campground at Rancho del Oso.
How the Shuttle Works
The free shuttle runs between the Saddle Mountain overflow parking area at Highway 236 and Little Basin Road and the park’s main day-use area near the historic core. The ADA-accessible shuttle includes a bike rack and operates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays through Labor Day.
When the main parking area fills, visitors will be directed to the Saddle Mountain lot, where parking costs $10 and State Parks passes are accepted. Visitors can also reserve parking in advance online for $8 total.
Public transit access is also available via Santa Cruz METRO Route 35, which runs weekends and holidays with service directly to the park. Visitors arriving by METRO receive free park entry and guaranteed access.
A Park Still Recovering
The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned more than 97% of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, destroying nearly every structure in the park, including headquarters buildings, campgrounds, and employee housing.
Recovery and long-term planning are still underway through the park’s broader Reimagining Big Basin effort, which will guide the phased rebuilding of trails, campgrounds, utilities, and visitor facilities over the coming years.
Big Basin, established in 1902, is California’s oldest state park and sits on the ancestral homelands of the Quiroste and Cotoni tribes, relatives of today’s Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.
MAIN PHOTO: The Sequoia Trail to Sempervirens Falls has reopened for the first time since the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
Read the original California State Parks release:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1521
