Hike: Berry Creek Falls, Big Basin (South Bay)
Distance: 11.2 miles round-trip, moderately strenuous
Elevation Gain: 2100'
Est. Time: 5-6 hours
Description:
Here is one of the front-runners in the "most beautiful hike in the Bay Area" competition. We've got Berry Creek Falls, a 70' waterfall in a deep redwood canyon, plus three smaller falls, plus spectacular redwoods and nice shade on (hopefully) a sunny afternoon! And Big Basin itself is an exceptionally scenic park -- even the drive is spectacular (though a bit twisty). It's one of our more difficult hikes, but one of the most rewarding too.
Parking is $10 and there are no dogs allowed on the trails.
This hike will be a joint venture with the Harvard club. During the hike we intend to take breaks for meditation and to reflect on our relationship with the natural world.
Our hike will follow a clockwise loop. From the visitor center, we will hike westward on the Skyline to the Sea Trail, then northward on the Berry Creek Falls Trail, and then eastward on the Sunset Trail. We intend to stop for lunch at or near Berry Creek Falls.
Carpooling is highly encouraged, due to very high demand for limited parking near the visitor center.
Additional information about Big Basin can be found at its web site:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=540
More links:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/berry-creek-falls-trail
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/BigBasin/BerryCreek.html
https://socalhiker.net/hiking-to-berry-creek-falls-in-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/
https://www.theoutbound.com/san-francisco/hiking/hike-the-berry-creek-falls-loop
This is a moderately strenuous hike. Please be sure that you are comfortable with this level of effort before joining us. And be sure to eat a nutritious breakfast, so that you arrive well fed, well hydrated and ready to hike.
What to Bring:
Bring water (at least 2 liters per person), a hat, lunch, and some snacks. Sunblock, sunglasses, rain gear, and warm clothes may be advisable depending on the weather. Be prepared to use layers. Note: There is a $10 parking fee, so bring cash.
Directions:
From 280, take Sunnyvale-Saratoga towards Saratoga. Drive 5 miles to Saratoga. Turn right at Hwy 9 and drive up and over the Skyline ridge, about 14 miles to Hwy 236. At the 4-way stop sign, go straight through the intersection so that you follow Hwy 236 into the park. It's about 10 miles on this twisty road to the park headquarters.
Park near the visitor center and meet in front of the visitor center (where maps are available for a reasonably low price).
Driving time: approx. 50 mins from Sunnyvale-Saratoga and 280.
Carpooling is always a nice idea. If people want to get into a carpool, we've set up an unmoderated discussion group you can use to set up carpools. To join it, go tohttps://www.groupcarpool.com/t/6pesvi.
Rain policy:
If there's any ambiguity about the weather on the day of the hike, you can check the forecast the morning of the hike -- a good source of up-to-date weather info is via thehttp://tinyurl.com/5b8tmo web address.
If it's raining significantly, the hike is off. If the weather is ambiguous, we will send out an email to themitcnchikers@yahoogroups.com list on the morning of the hike. You can easily join that email list by going to the ttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/mitcnchikers/ web page and clicking on the "Join This Group!" button. After you're on the list, you'll receive emails about each upcoming hike ~1 week in advance. The volume on that list is very low (~2 emails/month), so spam won't be a problem.
Disclaimers:
Joining any hike is entirely voluntary and participants assume any and all risks associated with the activities. By registering or attending this event, participants agree to the conditions posted HERE
