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This
2,800 acre State Park is covered with Douglas Fir, Oaks, and Giant Coastal
Redwoods which reachs 300 feet in height and are one of the tallest Redwood
Trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The park has 18 miles of hiking trails
and has 60 developed camping sites with picnic tables, open camp fire rings,
and drinking water. The camp sites also has complete full bathrooms with
hot water for showers.
This is the perfect place for those who are just starting to learn about tent camping, back packing and hiking.
Portola Redwoods State Park Ranger Station: (415) 948-9098
Emergency: 911
Maximum number of campers per camp site and each camp site can only take three 4 man tents or three 2 man tents.
Bath Rooms & Showers:
The bath rooms and showers are all private and are completely tiled with running hot water. There is a charge for the shower at 25 cents for two minutes so you will need 10 quarters for a 20 minutes shower thats $2.50 for 20 minutes. You can obtain quarters from the Visitor's Center. The bath rooms are very clean and they have mirrors and there is even an electrical outlet in each bathroom for those of you who needs to use hair dryers or electrical shavers.
Camp
Sites:
The camp sites are very well kept up and the Camp Hosts and Rangers are there to help any one who needs help in camping. There is running drinking water at all camp sites with fire rings. You can buy fire wood at $5.00 dollars a bag at the Visitors Center. Even if you bring your own fire wood it is strongly recommend that you buy wood there as well. A bag of fire wood has logs and kindling to start the logs on fire, and the burning time for each bag will last for approximately three hours. Remember not to gather logs, branchs, leaves, twigs or any type of foliage for the camp fires. They slowly decay and form natural mulch for the forest. Firewood gathering disturbs this recycling process which hinders and prevents this natural recycling process of the environment. Mulch protects the soil of the forest floor and feeds the soil with much needed nutrients furnishing nourishment to the redwood trees and to all other living plants which are vital to our natural fragile environment. No areas are provided for recreational games at Portola because of the long-term impact on our fragile redwood forest and because of safety considerations. Ball games, horseshoes, badminton, and similar activities are prohibited in most State and Federal Parks. Hammocks may damage a tree. If your hammock will damage a tree, including the bark, it is illegal. When you tie your hammock, watch carefully: Is the tree big enough? Is the diameter of the tree at least 12" (38" in circumference)? If the tree bends because of your hammock find a larger tree or do not use the hammock. This process of not gathering logs, branchs, leaves, twigs or any type of foliage for the camp fires is part of the concept of low-impact-camping, one of the three basic rules of good camping.
There
are four group camp sites;
Ravine
Group Camp,
Hillside
Group Camp,
Point
Group Camp, and
Circle
Group Camp.
Near the Circle Group Camp site there is a beautiful redwood open theater called the "Campfire Center."
There
are two walk in camp sites (non-developed with no running warter) for backpackers.
Visitors
Center:
You can buy sodas and coffee at the Visitors Center but they do not sell food so you will need to bring your own food and cooking equipment. You can also obtain informational pamphlets on the Park at the Center. You can bring your radios but remember that quiet time is from 10:00pm until 6:00am.
Items that you must have for camping:
Sleeping bag and tent (tents should not be larger than a
four man tent).
Hats.
Plate, knif, fork and spoon, drinking cup.
Food and cooking equipment.
Tooth past and tooth brush.
Towel and soap.
Change of clothing.
Picnic Areas:
There are four
group picnic areas;
Huckleberry
Picnic Area,
Madrone
Picnic Area,
Tan Oak
Picnic Area, and the
Ramada
Group Day Use Area.
Portola State Park HistoryIn 1769 noted Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola led an expedition through present day San Mateo County in search of Monterey Bay. He happened upon a new anchorage, the bay which was later named San Francisco! California's Gold Rush of 1849 began a demand for ever-increasing amounts of timber for mining and construction; lumbermen became the original settlers of the Santa Cruz Mountains, cutting what seemed to be unending groves of thousand year old redwoods. The first local settler of record is Christian Iverson, a Scandinavian immigrant who had worked as a Pony Express rider and shotgun guard. He acquired two parcels of land on Pescadero Creek in the 1860s, building a cabin of hand-split redwood which later property owners also used. The cabin stood until the earthquake of October 1989. John A. Hooper, San Francisco businessman built a two-story "summer home" on Pescadero Creek at the turn of the 20th century. By 1924 the Islam Temple Shrine of San Francisco had purchased approximately 1600 acres to be used as a summer retreat for members. In 1945 the Sate of California purchased the parcel for use as a State Park. Generous donations from the Save The Redwoods League have increased the total area of Portola Redwood State Park to over 2,800 acres today.
Directions:
From San Francisco take Hwy 280 South, then take Hwy 84 West, then take Hwy 35 South until you get to Alpine Road, then turn right onto Alpine Road, go for three miles on Alpine Road until you get to Portola State Park Road, then turn left onto Portola State Park Road, go for three more miles on Portola State Park Road until you get to the park entrance, then take the park entrance road into the park for one mile until you get to the Portola State Park Visitor's Center which will be on the right hand side of the road, you can't miss it. From San Francisco give yourselves one and a half hour driving time.
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