Free buses will shuttle visitors into Big Basin Redwood State Park this summer as California’s oldest state park shows off its continuing recovery from a 2020 forest fire.
The weekend Santa Cruz METRO bus service beginning May 25 marks the biggest increase in park access since it reopened in July 2022, state officials said in a press release Friday.
The shuttle will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day from a satellite parking area at Saddle Mountain, at state Highway 236 and Little Basin Road.
The CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020 burned 97 percent of Big Basin, destroying almost every structure, including the park headquarters, campgrounds and housing for park employees.
Park visitors can see the regrowth of the iconic redwood trees and signs of wildlife returning to the forest, including deer, raccoon, fox, mountain lion, coyote and many bird species.
An interim visitors center is now open. Miles of trails and fire roads are accessible and camping has returned to the coastal side of the park.