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Hey ya'll! I'm visiting a friend in San Jose this weekend and im looking for suggestions for a day hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Saturday. The bigger the trees and the less crowded the better. SP offers no exciting summit options. I know Big Basin Redwood State Park is popular. Any Help?

Berry Creek Falls from either Waddel Beach or Big Basin HQ.
Best hike in the South Bay.

If you've never seen a redwood grove do the park HQ route so you can visit the grove there.
And then do a loop out the Sunset Trail and Back on the Skyline to Sea trail- hitting the waterfall canyon from above.

I grew up camping at Portola Redwoods State Park. Much smaller than BB, but less people, great creeks and trees, lots of neener slugs. <sigh> Those mountains used to look so big to me...

Portola Redwoods State Park - Peters Creek Grove. It's about 14 miles, and I've done it three times, twice not seeing another soul. Peters Creek Grove is old growth, very deep in a hidden canyon too difficult to extract the wood from.

+1 for Berry Creek falls as the best hike in the South Bay, though it isn't necessarily the best Redwood viewing. For seeing some really huge specimens in the South Bay, check out Henry Cowell State Park near Felton. The hiking there is much more tame than Big Basin but the trees are beautiful.

If you're going to check out Portola Redwoods State Park, now is a good time to do it. It's on the list of parks to be closed this year.