46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} at nonprofit Save the Redwoods League, which helped to fund the study. Those banked reserves give redwoods an incredible advantage over other forest flora because they can regrow much more quickly, he adds. Hiking the park’s trails provides a unique opportunity to witness the forest’s resiliency up close. Start at Big Basin’s primary day use parking lot to find the easy, accessible half-mile Redwood Loop Trail, which meanders through some of the oldest and tallest trees in the park, including the Mother and Father of the Forest. Guided hikes on the trail are offered on weekends. Or, challenge yourself with one of the longer treks, like the fourmile Ocean View Summit Loop, which rewards visitors with ridgetop views of the Pacific. While many of Big Basin’s trails are still closed, restoration work is happening at a steady clip. A team of 50-plus state park staff and conservation crew members has been camping in the backcountry year-round since the fire, working to clear and reconstruct the 18,000-acre park’s network of trails. At the park’s western coastal entrance, the new 684-squarefoot Rancho del Oso Welcome Center opened last year, featuring interpretive exhibits and an observation deck with ocean views. Open trails here include the seasonal Marsh Trail, accessible from May through October, and the Hoover Trail that’s open yearround. While the campsites in the PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MAX WHITTAKER - SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE / LOTUS ABRAMS
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