The Great Park

For over a century, Sempervirens Fund has worked diligently to preserve the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains and to create public access to these special places. Our work began in 1900 with a campaign to acquire 3,800 acres of redwood forest for the establishment of Big Basin Redwoods State Park — California’s first state park. Over the years we have also helped to create and expand Castle Rock, Butano, and Portola Redwoods State Parks, protecting 25,000 acres of coast redwood forests. Read more about the land and trees we’ve saved.

Our plans for the future build upon our past accomplishments. Our guiding vision is a Great Park: an area of protected lands spanning San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. Our goal is to connect and combine Big Basin Redwoods, Butano, Portola Redwoods, Año Nuevo, and Castle Rock State Parks, along with Pescadero Creek County Park, Long Ridge, and Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserves, Sanborn County Park, Coast Dairies, Wilder Ranch, and Henry Cowell State Park.

Creation of the Great Park will protect the rich natural and recreational resources of the Santa Cruz Mountains and keep the forest a place for all life forms to thrive today and in the future. By linking the redwood parks, forests, streams, and other watershed lands in the coastal mountains, birds and other animals that require large territories will benefit from safe corridors; the public will have new opportunities to explore and experience the magical coast redwoods; and the natural character of the greater regional ecosystem will be preserved.



The Great Park For over a century, Sempervirens Fund has worked diligently to preserve the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains and to create public access to these special places. Our work began in 1900 with a campaign to acquire 3,800 acres of redwood forest for the establishment of Big Basin Redwoods State Park — California’s first state park. Over the years we have also helped to create and expand Castle Rock, Butano, and Portola Redwoods State Parks, protecting 25,000 acres of coast redwood forests. Read more about the land and trees we’ve saved. Our plans for the future build upon our past accomplishments. Our guiding vision is a Great Park: an area of protected lands spanning San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. Our goal is to connect and combine Big Basin Redwoods, Butano, Portola Redwoods, Año Nuevo, and Castle Rock State Parks, along with Pescadero Creek County Park, Long Ridge, and Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserves, Sanborn County Park, Coast Dairies, Wilder Ranch, and Henry Cowell State Park. Creation of the Great Park will protect the rich natural and recreational resources of the Santa Cruz Mountains and keep the forest a place for all life forms to thrive today and in the future. By linking the redwood parks, forests, streams, and other watershed lands in the coastal mountains, birds and other animals that require large territories will benefit from safe corridors; the public will have new opportunities to explore and experience the magical coast redwoods; and the natural character of the greater regional ecosystem will be preserved.