Portola Redwoods State Park Offers Secluded Retreat with Camping and Hiking Trails
Portola Redwoods State Park, encompassing 2,800 acres, provides a tranquil escape into a deeply shaded redwood forest, offering a contrast to the urban environment of nearby Silicon Valley and the South Bay Area. The park features a visitor center designed to resemble a wilderness lodge, complete with couches and a fireplace. Visitors can explore eighteen miles of trails that wind alongside meandering creeks, where towering coast redwoods, ferns, and huckleberries thrive. Waterfalls on Fall and Pescadero creeks add to the scenic beauty, cascading over mossy banks and woody debris. The park offers a 55-site family campground, four group campsites, and a trail camp for backpackers. It is also home to the remote and picturesque Peter’s Creek Grove. The park emphasizes environmental protection, particularly regarding the marbled murrelet, an endangered seabird that nests in old-growth forests. Visitors are advised to keep food secured to prevent attracting jays, ravens, and crows, which prey on the murrelet's ... 
