Summer is here and we're back in the habit of going on long weekend hikes. Today we're hiking to Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin State Park. Big Basin is one of my favorite parks in the area. It has so many trails and different terrains. Short history lesson: Big Basin is California's first State Park (established in 1902) and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. The park consists of over 18,000 acres of old growth and recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops. The park has over 80 miles of trails.

We drive up at the Visitor entrance and fight our way through the crowds. It always amazes me how busy it is at the Visitor Center, but as soon as you hike a mile out you hardly see anybody! I guess most people just walk the Granny loop and have some ice cream at the store.