We’ll be getting married at Little Basin State Park, in the California costal redwood forests near San Francisco.
Little Basin is now part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, but used to be HP’s retreat center, so it combines the feel of a state park with some extra amenities. For example, there’s a Frisbee golf course, basketball, volleyball, an ample playground for kids (big and small), and forest hikes that start right from the campground. The rest of Big Basin Redwoods, California’s first state park and home of some of the world’s tallest trees, is a 15 minute drive away (or a 3 mile hike).
We have booked a set of cabins and campsites for those of you who want to stay on the grounds with us. See Lodging below for more details!
Your parking pass in Little Basin is also valid for the rest of Big Basin State Park, so you won’t need to worry about an extra entry fee if you hop over to see the really big trees.
There is no cell reception in Little or Big Basin (there is a payphone), so we’ll make sure you have an up- to-date schedule to know where we’ll be and when. Little Basin is small enough that if you get there, you’ll be able to find us.
Little Basin is a state park, so there will likely be other people not in our wedding party there. However, we have reserved sectors of the park facilities, so our event will still feel fairly private.
(And no, before you ask, there's not canoeing at Little Basin that we know of.)
We’ve booked a set of cabins and campsites for those of you who want to stay on the grounds with us. Let us know your preference on the RSVP survey, and we’ll have your site number for you when you arrive. Staying onsite means we get to hang out with you more, hooray! If you prefer a hotel room, though, there are local options you can choose – see below.
If you’re interested in camping but don’t have gear, don’t worry – share that in the RSVP survey and we’ll track some down for you.
Cabins are for 8 people each and may be mixed gender. They have electricity and a heater (although its strength is debated), and beds come with mattresses. You’ll still need to bring your own sleeping bag (or sheets and a warm blanket) and pillow, though. Again, if you don’t have access to a sleeping bag, let us know and we’ll try to get one for you.
Bathrooms in Little Basin are shared (with running water and showers) and are a short walk from camp/cabin sites.
If you’d prefer to stay in a hotel, here are some nearby choices. AirBnB has options nearby too.
You’ll need a car (or a carpool buddy) to get to Little Basin. Well, you could hike in along the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail too... or bike in (Hwy 236 is nice riding!)... but we’re going to focus on motorized transport here.
Little Basin's address is 21700 Little Basin Rd; Boulder Creek, CA 95006. Your usual online mapping tool will probably get you there, but you may want to print out a map (e.g. [1], [2]), because you likely won't have cell reception in the park, and it would be a shame to get lost amongst all the trees...
Travel times from major airports, neglecting traffic:
Willing to give a ride to someone or need a ride yourself? The RSVP survey will collect that info, which we’ll share as a spreadsheet so you can contact and coordinate rides.
Note that the last stretch of road is winding, so while it may look short, it still takes some time. The last two miles are on an entry road that you’ll want to take slowly too – it’s narrow and has some potholes. Nearest gas is in Boulder Creek or Saratoga – don’t be like us and almost run out!
Our ceremony will be outside and the reception will be in an open-air pavilion (we have a rec hall reserved too in case the weather doesn’t cooperate). Therefore, please pack for the weather: