Little Basin Cabins & Campground

I made reservations to do some tent camping with my father and my son on 03÷05÷16, but things didn’t work out exactly as we planned, mostly because El Nino decided to wreak havoc on Northern California on that particular weekend. I almost cancelled, but I’m glad I didn’t, because even though everything seemed to be going wrong, we had a wonderful time at this campground.
Firstly, we made the (wise) decision to upgrade to a cabin, and even though there was something like seven inches of rain in a 24-​hour period, the cabin, which was clean and comfortable, kept us both warm and dry. The porch had sufficient enough overhang to allow us to use our stove on the porch without the food getting soaked, and the re was lot of room for indoor diversions.
Secondly, during the brief moments when the rain wasn’t horrendous, it was nice to enjoy a beautiful and mostly empty campground. We spent some time moseying around the trails and paths, and my son had a blast exploring.
Lastly, in the middle of the night, a pretty substantial tree collapsed 30 feet from our cabin, damaging part of the restroom and completely blocking our vehicles’ path out of the driveway. The team at the office was responsive to this dilemma and the cleared the tree the next morning in time for us to leave by checkout. I was impressed by the promptness with which they acted and their friendly and helpful attitude.
Good experience. I can’t wait to come back during a time when I’m not staring into the black heart of El Nino,

The Cabins and Kitchen facilities here at little Basin are the bomb diggity. We had a group of almost 16, and our entire stay went off seamlessly. Glad we had the opportunity to stay here, and we are definitely looking forward to coming back! Excalibur!

One of the best cabin experiences I have ever had. The cabins slept 8 people comfortably and we had use of the huge kitchen. We were able to cook up a wonderful meal for a large group (including some annoying vegetarians) and we had a blast doing so. The use of the kitchen really helped since we had such a big group with us. The cabins also had heaters that helped keep it warm during winter.

Beautiful scenery, affordable cost, heated cabins, and access to big kitchen with full cooking supplies. Put simply, 5 stars.

I stayed in the Little Basin cabins with a group of friends between Christmas a New Years and had an incredible experience. Initially worried about the projected overnight low of 28 degrees, the cabin heater sufficiently kept us warm!
A neat and unique thing about staying at the Little Basin cabins with a group is that you have the option to rent out a large kitchen for the evening to cook a large meal. This was very helpful for my group, as we passed on campfire cooking for 16 people in the rain.
Another wonderful thing about staying in here is that your parking pass here also gets you into Big Basin state park, where we were able to fully take advantage of the vast network of trails there in the old growth forest there. I will definitely be back to explore more and tent camping here when it warms up!

Wonderful little escape from the city life and so close. No bugs but then again it is Dec. cabins are clean and minimal but I will certainly go back every year for life. Hiking is amazing and the beauty is just beautiful.

My husband, 7yo and 9yo came here in November and thoroughly loved it!
–The sites were well spaced out (we were at #39), and fairly roomy.
–We were allowed to have a fire which was nice in comparison to Mt. Diablo.
–There were three raccoons that kept trying to sneak into our site, but they weren’t aggressive.
–The camp visitor center lady was super helpful and informative on trails etc.
–Note that there is ZERO RECEPTION FOR YOUR PHONE! But there is a landline phone at the office for emergencies.
–There are things to do as far as sports areas and a playground which was nice to fill the day with the kids. There are balls to borrow at the visitor center.
–The trails I heard were great but didn’t walk them, instead we stuck to my kids using their scooters around the road connecting campgrounds.
–Once I arrived there and walked I realized the best/​most interesting site was #41, it is huge and has burnt out redwoods that create a very interesting ambiance, really beautiful and larger than life. Definitely where I’m booking next time.
–The silence at night is overwhelming, at least during the time we came since it was off season and all the families had fallen asleep early. There are no animals or insects awake at night!

Not sure how to rate it. While it is gorgeous, it is not maintained in the same way state/​federal campgrounds are.
Pros:
— beautiful area
— stunning redwoods
— easy access to Big Basin State Park
— large campsites
Cons:
— can be quite noisy (no onsite hosts)
— bathrooms can get messy
— trash not picked up frequently
— bathroom supplies (soap, toilet paper) runs out
— the last time we went, the mosquitos were unbearable (the result of a perfect weather storm: drought, one day of rain followed immediately by several days of heat)

I was looking for affordable accommodations in Northern California while taking some students on a college tour, and I couldn’t find anything reasonable in a hotel range, so I decided we would give this a shot. It was a great experience. The cabins are pretty much just mattresses in four walls with plugs and lights, but if all you need is a place to sleep, this will definitely get the job done, and more. Beautiful place. Since we were there during the week when they weren’t using the group fire pit for their weekend programs, we were able to do a big giant campfire one night, which was really fun.
I wish the «store» (which is really just the office) was open early in the morning selling coffee, as that was the one thing I wanted most and wasn’t really doing the cooking while camping thing, so that would have made my day.
Overall though, the service was great, they helped coordinate my group, and their facilities are just beautiful.

I want to tell everyone that this place sucks! It’s horrible and you all will hate it! Don’t ever come here! Tell everyone you know not to come here!!! Mainly because I want to keep this little gem hidden! This place is amazing! We stayed in a cabin, it was darling! A nice refrain from the bugs and cold. My only problem was they said the cabin has a heater. So we didn’t pack super warm clothing. The heater really did nothing! So the evenings we super cold. Not that the complaints are out of the way… The staff is super friendly! The grounds are beautiful! There is a meadow near the headquarters, in one evening we saw 30 deer! Not to mention all the birds and other wild life! They have a ton of amenities for families too!!! Swings, a play structure, frisbee golf, a kickball/​baseball field, and every ball possible for anyone to use! Also a few hiking trails near by! The bathrooms were clean and well maintained! (They have real toilets and real showers!!) We walked around the campground and checked out all the other spots. All the spots seemed a good size and clean! They all have a picnic table (a real nice new one! Not one of those old wooden ones like state parks have!) a fire pit, a grill And most have a water tap at their campsite! We did notice that the creek running thru the middle was kind of stagnit so possible a source for mosquitoes? But, not sure if the water is treated so they don’t have mosquitoes?! our cabin location didn’t have many mosquitoes! Also if you stay at little basin, you get free parking at big basin state park! A fun little perk we did not know about til we pulled up to big basin! Jackpot!
! They don’t allow alcohol, or pets, so this place is more family friendly then other campgrounds! There were tons of kids riding bikes and running around! Which is great if you have kids! (Free entertainment and they get out energy… Jackpot!!) We have been camping a ton of places and quickly became one of our favorite places! Seriously if you want a quiet beautiful campground with a ton of harmless wildlife and lots of things to do… This is your place! If you want to party all night and cause a little trouble… Look elsewhere! Overall this place is amazing! We plan on coming back very soon!

Little basin is one of the best campgrounds I’ve been to in the Santa Cruz mountains. The staff is kind and always willing to help, the campground is amazingly well-​maintained, and the scenery is just beautiful. There’s more than enough to do here; ranging from disc golf to hiking into Big Basin S.P. to just enjoying the deer in the meadow. The hike to Eagle Rock is phenomenal as well. So kick back, relax, and get out into those beautiful redwoods!

My stay at Little Basin Cabins and Campgrounds has been the most enjoyable camping experiences I have ever had. There are few things that can compare to waking up surrounded by the natural beauty of the Redwoods.
The staff are incredibly courteous and helpful. They did a great job of making everyone staying there feel serviced.
I highly suggest going on one of the interpretive hikes if they are offered while you are there. They are a great way to explore the area while learning about the ecology of the forest.

Took the family up here in March. Very nice staff, pretty clean and lots to do to keep kids happy.

Little Basin is a family-​friendly Little Gem of a campground! We enjoyed a fun summer camping outing here with two other families. Our tent sites were nestled in the beautiful redwoods, clean with fire pit and picnic table. There are some great short steep hikes that take you out to lookouts. We packed picnic lunch and found our way to Eagle Rock, counting banana slugs on the way. If you are seeking more time on the trail, Big Basin is just a short drive away. The campground has some lovely open grassy meadows that were perfect for night time star gazing. There were some fellow campers out there sharing views with telescopes. Most memorable, the campground staff at Little Basin were impressively friendly, helpful and attentive. Their love of nature is infectious! We can’t wait to try out the tent cabins on a return trip.

Great family oriented campground. Perfect for large groups. Much much easier to reserve than Big Basin, although that’ll probably change. For groups there is tons to do, soccer, baseball, playground, horse shoes, tennis, racket ball. They loan out all equipment for free. Campsites have more space between than big basin so it’s much quieter. The hiking trails are great, not as heavily trafficked and covered with leaves still so it feels like exploring a post apocalyptic world, lol. Signs are still well marked and maintained though. We’ve camped at most campgrounds in Santa Cruz mountains and this is our favorite I think, especially for kids.

Great spot for families. We brought our little boy here in late September to introduce him to camping. He loved it – and he’s the kind of kid who is often glued to an IPad or iPhone.
The cabin was clean, and it was fun to sleep in bunk beds. Bring your own pillows and linens. The cabins are heated, but it did get a little chilly during the night.
We loved having a fire pit, grill, and food locker. It made the weekend a lot easier. I personally do enjoy roughing it, but we wanted to ease our son into camping. He loved the playground and Frisbee golf. We also played horseshoes and had fun walking up the hill to the amphitheater.
Staff was nice and helpful. I love that you can easily buy firewood and ice. We can’t wait to come back!

I brought a group of high school students to Little Basin for a camping trip to culminate our week of training (they are working for my organization through an internship). Our sites were great! 18 and 19 were big and spacious. They had huge table tops, bigger than any tables I’ve personally experienced at any campsite and they were well-​maintained and clean. They also had a grill on top of a fire pit so you have an option to charcoal bbq your food or just straight up roast some sausages over a fire.
We went on a hike with John Deer the next morning through Tanbark loop and it was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about the plants and animals and we even played a game in the middle of the hike. I highly recommend taking a guided walk with him or any other guide. You are bound to get your money’s worth (wait its free???).
I get that some people have issues with the bathrooms, the one in the middle of camp is small, but I personally feel that if you are going to camp, you shouldn’t bother with showering anyway. And Little Basin actually connects to Big Basin via the trails so if you need more excitement hike into Big Basin. Also there are one or two trails that give you 360 views.
This is a family campground and not a party scene. It is perfect for school groups and families wanting to get away from the noise of other campgrounds. Oh and watch for mosquitos in the summer time, thankfully the store sells bug spray if you forget yours.

It’s a narrow, rough road up to Little Basin and once you get there there is zip to do. My wife and I camp frequently and we enjoy parks where there are trails and lakes and vistas and a lot of natural beauty. Living in California for the last thirty years we’ve seen some beautiful areas, this is not one of them.
You’re less than 3 miles from Big Basin State Park, where there are beautiful trails, running streams, huge trees and a store where you can pick up supplies, even get a beer if you want (alcohol is not permitted at Little Basin — ???). The road in and out and through Big Basin is well maintained, smooth and allows for vehicles to pass without white knuckling around blind curves.
The fire pits at Little Basin are huge kettles where you burn wood and look at smoke — not too pleasant.
My feel is that this park is more family oriented.
For those of you addicted to 802.11 or even using cell phones — welcome to the back side of the moon. Not a bad thing for me, it’s one of the reasons I go camping. Nights at Little Basin are very quiet — a definite plus, and about the only one I can come up with.
Schlepp it up to Big Basin and enjoy yourselves.

Loved this spot! A great pick if you want a quiet getaway, clean campgrounds, and a true camping experience

I enjoyed this campsite very much! Little basin is a great place for campers who don’t necessarily want to rough-​it when they’re camping. The campsite had bathrooms, garbage/​recycling bins, picnic tables, fire pits, playgrounds, and organized events for campers (such as night hikes and campfires). It’s also just a beautiful and well-​kept place.
The only two downfalls were that the camp areas were too close to each other. You can definitely see and hear the other campers around you. Also, since its mainly a family friendly campground they don’t allow booze in the park… So make sure to bring some brown paper bags with you to hide your drinks! ;)