CHILD FRIENDLY

Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains was established in 1902 to protect the stands of coast redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, many of them more than 1,000 years old. It’s the oldest park in the state system. What you want in a kid-friendly camping trip is to give kids the chance to be completely wowed by nature, learn a little and have a lot of fun. The easy half-mile walk on the Redwood Loop Trail leads to titans like the towering Father of the Forest (250 feet tall) and the Mother of the Forest (293 feet). The park’s visitor center and its sweet little natural history museum have educational displays, and there are ranger-led hikes. Fun comes from the hikes, exposure to brilliantly slimy banana slugs, and kids being able to ask parents: You mean, these trees are even older than you are? 31 tent/RV sites; 69 tent only; 36 tent cabins; 38 walk-in sites; 52 hike-in. 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. Reservations: (800) 444-7275 or www.reserve america.com.