Nonprofit launches fundraising campaign to reopen popular Big Basin Redwoods State Park trail

BOULDER CREEK - Stewards of Big Basin Redwoods State Park are making a push to reopen a critical section of trail within the local landmark six years after it was destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex fires.

Sempervirens Fund, California's first land trust, has launched a fundraising campaign that aims to restore the 4.5-mile Timms Creek Loop, which serves as a relatively short but critical arterial for the region's iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. The nonprofit's $450,000 matching campaign was unveiled July 8 and will run through Sept. 18, according to organizers.

"The return of the Timms Creek Loop is about more than rebuilding a trail. It's about reconnecting people to Big Basin at a pivotal moment in its recovery," Sempervirens Fund Executive Director Sara Barth said in a media release. "This project invites the community to be part of restoring access to one of California's most iconic redwood landscapes, while preparing it to withstand the realities of a changing climate."

The nearly 30-mile Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail runs from Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the coastline at Waddell Beach in Davenport and is known as the definitive through-hiking experience in the region. But a pivotal section of the trail that previously meandered through the redwood-rich landscape of Big Basin was completely destroyed in the 2020 fires.

California State Parks has been working hand in glove with several local nonprofit groups ever since to try to reopen the park's trails as quickly as possible, and the Timms Creek Loop has been identified as the latest section targeted for restoration. The Timms Creek project includes installation of 22 new fiberglass bridge crossings engineered to withstand prescribed fires or low-intensity fires, with added benefits such as lower long-term maintenance and replacement fees.

"As Big Basin recovers from the 2020 wildfire, we have an opportunity to build back smarter, restoring access while strengthening the park's resilience for generations to come," added Barth. "The Timms Creek Loop is a powerful example of what that future can look like."

The fires, sparked Aug. 16, 2020, burned through 97% of Big Basin's more than 18,000 acres of lush redwood landscape and destroyed virtually all of the State Parks facilities in its path. When the smoke had cleared, more than 100 miles of roads and trails had been left impassable, including 46 trail bridges along Timms Creek alone. Shortly thereafter, the Reimagining Big Basin initiative was launched to guide an adaptive and sustainable rebuild process that recognizes the realities of a hotter climate. As of May, more than 20 miles of the park's trails had reopened and a State Parks poll named Big Basin as the most desirable destination for hiking throughout the state agency's vast network of parks.

Barth told the Sentinel that the California State Parks and Recreation Commission formally approved Big Basin's new facilities management plan July 2, which helps clear the way for some of the park's large-scale projects to advance.

"There have been other smaller projects that the agency was able to move ahead with without this mega permit, if you will," said Barth. "Now that they have it, I think the public should be starting to see more and more things moving forward."

According to Sempervirens, this latest fundraising campaign offers several different avenues to give including bridge sponsorship opportunities and the organization's first ever peer-to-peer fundraising effort. The goal is to reopen the Timms Creek Loop in 2027 as part of the park's 125th anniversary festivities.

The nonprofit also hopes this new effort can create momentum for future fundraising efforts to boost active forest management projects, including the removal of forest fuels, meadow restoration and construction of new visitor facilities.

Sempervirens Fund is spearheading the Timms Creek Loop fundraising effort in collaboration with California State Parks and the California Conservation Corps. Giving information is online at sempervirens.org.

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