Meteor Trail makes for a fine fall hike - San Francisco Chronicle
Until the first big rains arrive this fall, fire danger at Bay Area parks has rangers cringing when visitor use is high on weekends and holding their breaths the rest of the time. Except, that is, along the Middle Ridge Fire Road and the Meteor Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the site of a catastrophic wildfire in 1960. A prescribed burn at Big Basin in early winter of 2001 largely... "There have been big fires in the past," said Brandon Carroll , a park interpretive specialist at Big Basin. It made the Meteor Trail one of the best fall hikes at Big Basin for the adventure, the view and the science. -- The adventure: This is a 5. 2-mile hike, up and back, with a 600-foot elevation gain, with the option of turning it into a longer loop hike. The climb is not difficult and the landscape, terrain and views change perpetually en route to the payoff, the burn area with a hilltop view of the coast. -- The trailhead: From the parking area (across the road from park headquarters), look for the trailhead on the far side of the lot near the sign for the Redwood Trail. Do not take the Redwood Trail, but rather walk past the park's amphitheater and restroom to the wood bridge that crosses Opal Creek. -- The hike: The trip starts where you cross Opal Creek, the ever-changing stream set in a small ravine. In the first two miles, the route extends along Opal Creek (to your right) and beneath. Source: www.sfgate.com
