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[Please note: Big Basin suffered extensive damage in the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire, so
please check the official park website before planning any trip.]
Last year, I had tried to plan a group camping trip with my son's Kindergarten class. Unfortunately
the plans broke down as families backed out and the weather turned sour. This year, I kept it
small (2 other families), and moved it a bit later in May to hopefully get better weather.
I figured late May would be a good time; little did I know that we'd have some unseasonably late
rain in the Bay Area. Thankfully it would only sprinkle on us briefly.
Months in advance, I started to check the Big Basin reservation system. The dates I wanted
finally started to go in April, so we made reservations for 2 sites a little over a month in
advance. Memorial Day weekend was long gone, of course, so you'll have to reserve well in advance
if you want that.
The somewhat odd thing about Big Basin is that while they have a reservation system, they don't
allow you to reserve specific sites. Instead, you have to check in and the rangers will assign
you a specific site when you arrive. So, when we arrived at the park at 5pm, we had to head
to the rangers at the park headquarters. There, we waited for about 15 minutes, as there was
apparently something wrong with their computers. We were finally able to get two sites
next to each other, in the Sempervirens campground.
We drove past towering redwoods to our camp site. It was cool and overcast, but still dry as we
set up camp. The 13 of us (6 adults and 7 children) set up our 3 tents in the 2 sites (each site
sits up to 8 people). After dinner it started to sprinkle. We hastily set up the new rain shelter
that we'd just bought and set it up over the picnic table. I have to admit, after years of not
having a shelter while camping, it was really nice to have. In case you are wondering, we used
the REI Alcove Shelter, which packs relatively small and has optional walls as well.
It rained lightly off and on for a bit, but for the most part the rain stopped right after
we set up the shelter (of course). It was still cold, though, so I went off to get some firewood.
The headquarters sells firewood, but they close at 4pm. I went to the camp host at Huckleberry
Campground, who sells firewood until 9pm. Just be forewarned that the price (at this time)
is $10.50 per bundle, quite a bit more than the $6 which seems to be the going rate at other
parks.
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