Butano State Park doesn't get the crowds of Big Basin or Muir Woods, and that's a big part of its appeal. The park protects the redwood canyon of Little Butano Creek in the hills above Pescadero. If you've driven out expecting to camp or fill a water bottle, though, you'll be disappointed. California State Parks says damage from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire still keeps parts of the park closed.

What's closed

  • Butano Campground is closed indefinitely because the fire damaged the park's water system. The park's page also lists the Ben Ries Campground as closed for the same reason.
  • There is no drinking water in the park. Bring all the water you'll need.
  • The Butano Trail Camp is open to backpackers, but reservations are required.

Some older descriptions of the park, including parts of its own page, still mention drive-in and walk-in campsites, running water and summer campfire programs. The closure notices are the current word.

Hikes by the time you have

State Parks suggests three routes through the park's second- and third-growth redwoods:

  • One hour: the Little Butano Creek Trail, a gentle 1.5-mile path through redwoods, ferns and redwood sorrel into the heart of the park.
  • Half a day: the 5-mile Jackson Flats Loop, with redwoods, wetlands and ridgetop views.
  • Full day: the 9.5-mile Canyon Loop, which State Parks describes as a trip into "forgotten forests and scenic overlooks."

The park has 40 miles of trails across more than 4,000 acres, with oak woodland, streamside habitat and chaparral mixed in with the redwoods. Hikers may spot woodpeckers and newts, and calypso orchids bloom in spring.

Rules

  • Dogs: allowed in the campground and paved developed areas on a leash no longer than six feet, but not on trails. Service animals are the exception.
  • Drones: not allowed. The park is closed to model aircraft, drones and gliders.
  • Crumbs: the park is part of the Crumb Clean campaign, which asks visitors to leave no food behind to help protect the marbled murrelet, an endangered bird that nests in the park.

The name

The park was created in the 1950s to protect coast redwoods from logging. The name Butano has been applied to land grants, creeks, falls, ridges and forests in the area. Its earliest recorded mention is by Padre Jaime Escudet in 1816. Early Californians used the word for a drinking cup made from an animal's horn, though a Native American origin is also possible.

Getting there

The park is at 1500 Cloverdale Road in Pescadero. State Parks lists a $9 day-use rate for seniors 62 and older and notes that large buses may have trouble on the narrow park roads.