Join Pack 809 for our Spring Campout
at Big Basin Redwoods State Park!

Registration jumps from $30 to $40 Tuesday April 10th 2PM, so don't delay!
(more new info highlighted below)

California's oldest state park, established in 1902, is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient Coastal Redwoods south of San Francisco.  The park also has Giant Sequoia, lush creeks, waterfalls, boulders, miles of trails, awesome campfire center and a mini museum.  Big Basin is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains about 1 hour 40 minute drive, near the town of Boulder Creek.  Pack 809 has reserved 9 campsites in Sempervirens Campground to accommodate 72 attendees.

All food and drink will be provided for the weekend, plus plenty of activities. You may want to bring the following items to make your camping experience a more comfortable one:

• Sleeping and Bedding:  Tent, hammer, ground cloth, sleeping bags, air mattress, pillows, extra blankets, lanterns, flashlights, chairs for around campfire

• Personal Items:  Bathroom supplies (there are coin operated showers). Clothing including jackets or sweaters, sturdy shoes or hiking boots, scout uniform with neckerchief, hat, scout T-shirt, handbook, compass, whittling chip card, pocket knife and mess kit. (Paper plate users served after mess kit users!)

Sempervirens Falls & Campfire Center:
  
Maps:
 

Activity Schedule:
(ALL DENS - Please plan on performing a 1 skit and 1 song, joke or cheer to make the Spring Campout Campfire Program the best one yet.) 

Hike Description: 

See flowering plants and also visit several historical spots within the park. Saturday’s walk is a four-mile, four-hour walk that includes two chimney trees and a waterfall.  Bring your water bottle.

For those of you who will arrive after 10am on Saturday, the 10am hike will not start at Park HQ after all, it will start from our campsite marked PACK 809 HQ. 

We will store the unclaimed bag lunches in a food locker on the main PACK 809 HQ campsite.

The hike will probably take the same route as the docent hike which we believe will be route A or B as described on this link.

http://bigbasin.org/trailssequoia.html

Either way we’ll stop for lunch at Slippery Rock (3), right across from Semperviren Falls (4) on the map from above link.

Meal Plan:

(Paper plate users served after mess kit users -We’re starting to encourage scouts to bring Mess Kits to our campouts to reduce the amount of waste.  We will provide disposable tableware this time, but please consider one of the following for this campout or the next :
http://www.scoutstuff.org/seven-piece-cascadian-table-set-green.html
http://www.campsaver.com/cascadian-1-person-table-set) 

PACK 809 CANCELLATION POLICY:
The pack incurs costs from the moment an event is planned.  Any cancellations will cost an $8 per person fee.  No refunds are available after April 15th.

Please be aware of the below important information and park regulations.

• We expect about 30 families attending and we are limited to 72 people total.
• We reserved 9 campsites in Sempervirens Campground for Friday and Saturday nights, so we will all be sharing sites.
• We are allowed 2 vehicles per campsite overnight, but only 1 is included in the campsite fees we paid.  The first 9 cars in the gate get in for free.  The next 9 vehicles will need to pay $10 each to park in the campground.
• We can only park 18 vehicles within Sempervirens, so the remaining cars need to park at overflow parking at headquarters, about 0.8 miles from our camp, as well as pay the $10 overnight vehicle fee.
• There are several restrooms through out the park.
• Water is available through faucets located around in the campground.
• Coin Operated Showers are $0.25 for 2 minutes
• The consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited by the park and the BSA.
• Dogs not recommended due to extensive restrictions.
• Spring Weather: Cool with morning and evening fog and some showers. Average daytime highs are in the 60s, lows in the 30s to 40s.

PARK OFFICE PHONE:
(831) 338-8861 (Staff will answer if available.)
(831) 338-8860 (Recorded message)

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540

Directions:

Route 1 (longer at 82.4 miles, 1 hr 51 mins, but less curvy):

1. Take Hwy 680 South to 880 South, which becomes Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz.
2. Over the summit past Scotts Vallley, look for sign for Mt Hermon Road.
3. Exit Mt Hermon Rd and stay right, back into Scotts Valley.
4. Mt Hermon Rd ends at a lighted intersection (Graham Hill Rd), turn right.
5. You'll immediately come to another lighted intersection (Hwy 9), turn right.
6. Stay on Hwy 9 in northerly direction for 15 miles through several small towns.
7. You'll eventually enter the town of Boulder Creek, which has one stop sign.
8. At this stop sign you will turn left onto Highway 236/Big Basin Way.
9. Stay on Hwy 236 for 8.1 miles, turn right into the Sempervirens
     campground. There are two entrances. If you miss the first, you
     can go into the second. They are about 100 feet apart.
     We have campsites 165, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 179, 180, 183.
10. After finding a camping site, continue 0.9 miles to the Park Headquarters.
     Check-in at the park headquarters to pick-up your parking permit.
     They will ask for your campsite number.

Route 2 (shorter at 71 miles, 1 hr 39 mins, but more curvy):

1. Take Hwy 680 South to 880 South and then go North on to Hwy 85.
2. Exit Hwy 85 North at Saratoga Ave. Turn left to go West on Saratoga Ave.
3. Saratoga Ave. starts to climb into the mountains & becomes Hwy 9 South.
4. Stay on Hwy 9 South as it winds through the mountains for 6 miles.
5. You will then see as sign for Hwy 236/Big Basin. Go straight onto Hwy 236.
6. Continue on 236 for 9 miles until you arrive at Park Headquarters.
7. Continue about 0.8 on Hwy 236 to the Sempervirens campground. 
    Turn left into the campground.
8. Find one of our campsites 165, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 179, 180, 183.
9. Return back to the Park Headquarters and check-in.
    You will need your camp site number to get the parking permit.

General Store / Gift Shop
Food, beverages, essential camping supplies, gifts, postcards and more are available at the Big Basin Redwoods Store and Gift Shop located across the street from Park Headquarters. Hours vary seasonally in the spring and fall. Open 8am-8pm during the summer.
 
Museum
See wonderful photographs of the area from years past, learn about redwood forests, and see the many birds, reptiles, incects and mammals that live in Big Basin.  Open 9:00am to 5:00pm.