Portola Redwoods State Park

Beautiful setting amongst the Redwoods! There are river/steams running throughout the park. They do pretty good job of keeping the bathrooms clean. Some decent hikes to occupy some of your time. Lots of ravens and Bluejays. Definitely no not leave any crumbs behind. A solid family style camping experience. You will definitely deal with kids and hearing other folks but getting the right Campsite and alleviate some of those... Things.

Very relaxing and quiet environment definitely recommend going if your looking for piece and a place to clear your mind

A moderate hike. The drive to the place is serene. The roads are narrow, but is really a great drive.
Also, do not forget to get a parking permit you will get ticketed.
We went on a hike on the Iverson trail. There was a small creek at the end that was refreshing.
Another highlight was the restrooms in this park was super clean.

A hidden gem for day hiking on the peninsula of the Bay Area. A little over an hour drive from San Francisco, the visitor center is about 20-30 minutes from Hwy 35 and Alpine Drive. There was a $10 fee for day use which can be used at any of the other state parks and beaches. I arrived on a cool November Sunday morning at 10:15 am. There was plenty of available parking since all the campgrounds were closed for the season.
I grabbed a nap from the visitor center and mapped out a nice loop that begins near the Big Tree trail. The Big Tree trail was a nice short hike with educational signage all along the path detailing the Coastal Redwoods and their growth, the local wildlife, and other vegetation. I proceeded around the Slate Creek Trail to the Summit trail. I was immersed in absolute joy after noticing how quiet the forest was. At the point one is several miles from any road or city. There were only a few others along the trail. I traversed over to the Tiptoe Falls which were a hidden little alcove with a 3 foot tall waterfall with a trickle of water leftover from the recent rain.
I continued to navigate the back country of the park via the Iverson trail to the Coyote Ridge trail. The Iverson trail was named after the first settler, a Danish immigrant Christian Iverson. The trail crosses the Pescadero Creek which has a bridge crossing between May and October. That morning I had to navigate some rocks and trust my waterproof hiking shoes. After climbing to the top of Coyote Ridge it was a speedy down hill back to the visitor center and my parking spot. It is important to note the bridge that crosses Peters creek just past the road was closed due to danger and need for repairs. I had to finish the last half mile hiking along the Portola State Park Road.
I chose to wrap up the day hiking the short loop around the Sequoia Nature Trail. I recommend this short hike for anyone since it is easy and provides an epic view of the remnants of a 2000 year old Redwood burnt down on the 1989 fire.
Overall a great park to make the effort to visit. I hope to come back someday during the camping season and stay overnight.

wonderful shaded trails with plenty of redwoods. the air is awesome here! wasn't crowded at all on a weekend. entrance/parking fee $10 per day, doesn't need to be cash only.