SUNDAY DRIVE
Butano State Park
What you see: At Butano State Park, you get hikes in redwoods that allow you to match your level of ambition, a mountain bike route on the Butano Rim that is one of the best anywhere, and great campsites to match your style, whether it’s RV, tent or the distant trail camp. To crown it, there are two little-seen payoffs: a cool abandoned airstrip with a view and the Candelabra Tree in remote forest. I love the place, have explored all of it and come back often for more.
Little Butano Creek: The best easy walk at Butano is the Little Butano Creek Trail. It is routed for 1.5 miles on the center floor of Butano Canyon along a pretty creek edged by redwoods and ferns. The trailhead is on the main park road on the left, just before you reach the turnoff for the campground.
Jackson Flats Loop: A 5-mile loop has a steep start at the Mill Ox Trailhead. That climb ends quickly on reaching the Butano Rim, a service road. Turn right. The route has good views over the valley below and glimpses of the ocean. To complete the loop, turn right on Jackson Flats Trail. It plummets a short distance over a sandstone face, then enters forest for an easy walk through pretty redwoods. Best all-round walk in the park.
Abandoned airstrip: Hidden on a sloped flat near the back of the canyon, 6 miles in off the Butano Rim, is an abandoned airstrip that provides great views to the west of Butano Canyon and beyond to the ocean. It is best to get there on a mountain bike off the access point at Cloverdale Road (not from inside the park). The climb is 600 feet in the first 2 miles, a challenge, then a more rhythmic climb of 800 feet in 4 miles, with a spur on the right that leads to the site.
Candelabra Tree: The tree is named for its five huge stems, which extend from a trunk that is 20 feet around. From the park entrance station, take the Año Nuevo Trail, steep for a mile (the former lookout view is blocked by trees), up to the Olmo Fire Road, then continue a short distance to the turnoff on the right for the Candelabra Trail. Descend into Gazos Canyon to the short spur for the Candelabra Tree. Cost: $10 per vehicle.
Map/brochure: Available at entrance kiosk, PDF at website.
Camping: Butano has three styles of campsites: 21 drive-in sites, 18 walk-in sites and a trail camp with eight sites for backpacking. The primary campground is set in deep redwoods and accommodates RVs up to 24 feet and tents, with a restroom available with water but no showers. The walk-in sites require only short walks and provide more privacy and quiet than the drive-in sites. $35 per night. Reservations, with an $8 fee, at www.reserveamerica.com, (800) 444-7275. The trail camp requires a 5.5-mile hike (one way) with a 1,550-foot climb. The sites are secluded in forest and face the ocean. For water, pump-filter from a creek about 400 yards away. Register at the park entrance for trail sites, first come, first served.
Note: Park staff is constructing wildlife-resistant dish washing stations in the campground; on workdays, there can be localized noise during the day. What to do? Go for a walk.
Dogs: No dogs on trails or service roads in the park’s interior. Dogs are OK on paved roads; in campgrounds, they must be kept on leash (no longer than 6 feet), attended at all times, quiet and kept at night in tents or vehicles. Proof of vaccinations required.
Contacts: Butano Redwoods State Park, (650) 879-2040; parks.ca.gov.
HOW TO GET THERE
GPS: Use 1500 Cloverdale Road, Pescadero
From San Francisco: Take Interstate 280 south to Daly City and the exit on the right for Highway 1/Pacifica. Bear right at that exit and, on Highway 1, drive south 19 miles to Half Moon Bay (stoplight at Kelly Avenue). Continue straight ahead south on Highway 1 for 15.2 miles to Pescadero Creek Road. Turn left and drive 2.5 miles (through Pescadero) to Cloverdale Road. Turn right and go 4.4 miles to the park entrance road on the left. Turn left and drive a short distance to the park entrance and kiosk. From East Bay/Peninsula: Drive to the junction with Highway 92, turn west on Highway 92 and drive to Crystal Springs Reservoir (west of the junction with Interstate 280). Continue west on Highway 92 for 8 miles to Half Moon Bay and Highway 1. Turn left on Highway 1 and continue as above.
Distances: 5 miles from Pescadero, 22 miles from Half Moon Bay, 34 miles from San Mateo, 50 miles from Hayward, 52 miles from downtown San Francisco, 55 miles from Sausalito.