butano state park

Redwoods. Trails. Streams. Extremely quiet. No big roads going by. Very close by San Francisco. Awesome restaurant near by (Duartes Tavern - best pies and breakfast anywhere). This place is just so beautiful. I can't even explain it. Just do it. Booking can be hard because we all want Saturday night, So you have to be online and book 6 months in advance on the Saturday when it becomes available. And take a friend and blow their minds.

Campsites are nicely spaced. We liked that we were in the shade, not in the sun. It was very misty a couple nights - be sure to use a rain fly if you are tenting. Sun was readily available in Pescadero and on the beach. It was mostly quiet after 10pm. There were some night owls but they weren't rowdy.They are lacking shower facilities. You can use the showers at Half Moon Bay State Beach - it's not real close, but gives you the opportunity to visit the lighthouse and the town if you want. It has a nature trail with signs along it that is educational and suitable for small children. There's supposedly a live bat cave on one of the trails; ask at the ranger station. An enjoyable getaway close to Silicon Valley.

This is a rather small park in the area but also one of the most beautiful. Wonderful old redwoods, some bushland, steep canyons, soft hills and charming trails. The park offers several trails for all levels of experience. Particularly, the canyon trail is just awesome. It is also great for trail running. We stayed at the campground for 3 nights. It offers about 20 sites for drive in and another 20 for hike in. We opted for hike in which means that you park your car at a dedicated parking lot and have to carry your stuff some 100-200 meters to your site.

There were so many hiking trails available that I was wishing that we had more time. Even though the weather was quite warm - under the redwoods it was very comfortable. All levels of hiking can be found here and it wasn't all that crowded for a Saturday!

Butano State Park is a beautiful redwood state park in the Pescadero area. Its a little bit "off the beaten track" so it can be a very peaceful and enjoyable experience. We have enjoyed having picnics here. Weather can be a factor however as at times it can be foggy and cool. Even on those days though, it is nice to visit here and enjoy a walk or hike in the redwood area. Although we have not camped here, I did want to note that there are campgrounds here as well.There is a state daily use fee or one can purchase a yearly California state park pass which covers yearly admission to the parks.

I selected this from a map of state parks as a stopover on a tour of California. This was our base camp for touring San Fran. So I had never seen this park and was very pleasantly surprised at this beautiful redwood canopy in the middle of grassland. Entering the park from the grassland is like entering another world, as you are suddenly under the canopy of redwood trees.Coming in at night after a day in the city, it seemed very spooky, however we did not witness any actual ghosts. But this looks like a place they might hang out. For overnight camping it does not have all the modern amenities, but we loved it, so, so much nicer than a cheap motel. In the middle of May there were few people there. I'd think this would be a great weekend getaway for NorCal.There is a nearby town called Peacadero (no, I did not make up that name) for provisions.

We went on a whim and it was practically deserted. Walked the Jackson Flats trail which was longer than stated but fine & well sign posted. Quiet, saw lots of wildlife and just relaxed. Rangers not always present and facilities very limited.

We did the Mill Ox trail hike, a moderate level hike. The first fev minutes will give you a bit of huff and puff time as this is the steepest part of this 5 mile hike. Head up, up, up through the always magnificent redwoods to the Butano Park fire road then turn right. This part of the hike is an uphill, but not steep, walk and somewhat boring. Once you reach the fork take the right path down through the trees till it crosses the Mill Ox trail, then left back to the parking area. Two hours, maybe a bit over that, should do it unless you stop for a picnic or snack. There are no tables or benches anywhere along the walk, but we found a spot to sit on the ground to eat at the fork in the road. If you're going to do this take something along to sit on. Be sure to take water!Entering the park costs $10 and $9 for seniors.

Like much of the Santa Cruz Mountain sites, Butano doesn't disappoint!Lovely redwood hillsides to hike. Miles to go around. Warmer than the coastline nearby, and not so often foggy.I haven't camped here, but I'm told the camping is good.Easy to get to, but you leave all the human noise and hubbub behind you.

Very beautiful nature reserve which is still in a original condition. There are beautiful small walkways along streams and in a dense, green environment with large Redwood Trees. There are no other tourist facilities. The beautiful scenery is the only attraction.

We stayed in the park for a night. It was beautiful! We went in October so it was a little chilly, just make sure you bring a coat and some fire wood. When we arrived the camp manager was not available so we just picked a spot (we had made a reservation). The campsites were large and we found a makeshift teeter totter to play on. We had to leave early in the morning so we didn't have time to explore but we will next time. There is no shower so come prepared. Have fun!

We were told about this lovely state park as a less crowded way to see redwoods. So true!Well cared for trails that are easy to walk. Many lovely redwoods. Easy to get to off the Pacific Coast Highway near Half Moon Bay. Makes a great day trip.Public toilets were a bit gross though, go before you get there if you can.Otherwise, a great find!(There are campgrounds as well, but we did not look at those.)

this is a great small park, very beautiful, tucked away off the beaten path, the trails are very well kept, and easy to manage, take the time to explore, it "s a great day park

Butano State Park was quite a discovery. It is certainly not as well known as for instance Big Basin, but for hiking and visiting big old-growth redwoods, equally good. Access is a bit difficult if you are coming from San Francisco because it is not really located at one of the main roads, but the drive along highway 1 and then the little detour is already a nice drive with great view of several beaches. There is the usual fee for entry to a state park and on our Sunday visit there were still several parking spots available. The trails are well maintained and the six bridges trail is easy and provides information about the trees, plants, and life in the creek. The good thing is that you come really close to some big old redwoods, and even better, there are not many other people on the trails. There are restrooms at the entrance and the camp ground.

My grandson and I camp 3-4 times a year. This year I decided to try out new campgrounds. I found Butano (BEAU-tuh-noe) State Park by sheer accident. I saw a green dot on the online map of California State Camp Grounds and said, "Hmm, that looks good!" I booked our two nights-three day trip and wished I'd booked at least one more night! I came through Pesacadero and not Gazos Rd. Driving up to the entrance everything was dry even though it was June. I was worried, because I'm not a fan of "dry." Camping is about green and lush for me! As soon as you get through the entrance you enter an entirely new world. It's like going from Kansas to Emerald City! BEAUTIFUL and "Jaw Dropping," to say the least! Clover, Fern and Redwoods packed so tightly together that you simply can't believe what your eyes are seeing! It's a small and quiet campground. Rangers are a stones throw away. Bathrooms are always clean. It's nothing I've ever seen before! Though we didn't do much hiking this trip we did venture out to see Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Ano Nuevo State Park to hike in to see the Walrus Seals. Those were SOOOOOOO beautiful and fun! Small children (4 and under) can enjoy this hike, but may get tired quickly; which means you'll need to be prepared to carry them in/out through sand to/from the seals. Seal Pups are born the end of January and mid February (as I've been told). Seals molt mid-end of June and then they're gone until November-ish. It rained our entire camping trip (as we were in the "rarely seen rain in June!," but I have to say this Park provided the most fun we've had in a very long time! Hiking in the rain, seeing the seals, travelling back to the park through Gazos Rd where we saw "Oreo Cows," and the ocean view from the Lighthouse was fantastic! Santa Cruz is only 1/2 hr down the road (south-if you miss seeing people), and Half Moon Bay is about 20 minutes north. Tuesdays from 5-9pm are dollar night for children at Santa Cruz Boardwalk (unlimited rides for them). ...IF you feel inclined to ruin a perfectly great camping trip by going back to the city. I highly recommend this Park to any camper. Very small campers can fit in this campground. No RV or Trailer access is available here. Strictly a place of peace and quiet for tent campers.