Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
San Francisco Bay Area➢
In October of 2025, I flew to the San Francisco Bay Area for a long weekend to visit my cousin, who had been battling a serious illness. Her partner had spent the past two years balancing work with full-time caregiving, so we made a point of getting out for a few day trips while also spending time at my cousin’s bedside. We had originally planned to visit several National Park Service sites, but a federal government shutdown began the day I arrived, closing them all. Fortunately, California’s outstanding state park system gave us plenty to explore instead. Over the next few days, we visited towering redwoods, coastal beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, and scenic reservoirs, proving that even with unexpected changes, the Bay Area offers no shortage of memorable places to discover.
In my rented Prius, I visited Portola Redwoods, Natural Bridges, Cowell Redwoods, Old St. Hilary’s Historic Preserve, Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary, Lafayette Reservoir, and San Juan Bautista State Historic Park. Though I’ve visited the area many times over the years, these were all new parks for me.
Portola Redwoods➢
My flight arrived early in the morning, leaving me with several hours before my cousin finished work. Wanting to see California’s famous redwoods, I headed about an hour south to Portola Redwoods State Park. Although it’s not far from San Francisco International Airport, the drive feels much more remote once you leave the freeways behind. Narrow, winding mountain roads lead into the Santa Cruz Mountains, where towering coast redwoods quickly make you forget you’re in the middle of the Bay Area.
Established in 1945, Portola Redwoods State Park protects more than 2,800 acres of forests, streams, and rugged mountain terrain. Unlike some of California’s better-known redwood parks, Portola remains relatively undeveloped, offering a quieter experience with fewer crowds. The visitor center features exhibits about the park’s natural and cultural history, while a campground surrounded by impressive redwoods sits nearby. Beyond that, the park feels wonderfully wild, with simple trailheads and minimal development that encourage visitors to slow down and explore.
After browsing the visitor center exhibits, I set out to find the Old Tree Trail. Even with directions from a helpful park ranger, locating the trailhead took a little searching because trail markers are limited. I wandered through the forest for a while, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and photographing the massive redwoods. I had the park almost entirely to myself, making it easy to appreciate the quiet beauty of the forest before heading back north to meet my cousins.
The peaceful setting comes with one drawback: there is little to no cell phone service throughout much of the park. I discovered that the hard way when it was time to leave and my GPS stopped working. After pulling over in hopes of finding a signal, a kind woman noticed I was lost and stopped to help. She gave me clear directions back to the freeway, turning what could have been a stressful end to the visit into a reminder that sometimes the best travel assistance comes from friendly strangers.
Bay Area Posts➢
- Portola Redwoods State Park
- Natural Bridges State Park
- Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Old St. Hilary’s Historic Preserve
- Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary
- Lafayette Reservoir
- San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
Location: 9000 Portola State Park Road, La Honda, California
Designation: State Park
Date designated/established: 1945
Date of my visit: October 2, 2025
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