Butano State Park

Don’t be fooled by the grassland entrance to Butano State Park, you’re about to wind your way into a dense redwood forest. As you climb, the air changes—cool, fresh and peaty—and every surface is a shade of burnt sienna or green. There are several camping options, from car camping to packing it in five miles to trail camp, and there are enough sun-streaked trails to keep you walking or mountain biking for weeks. It’s refreshing, being surrounded by so many layers of forest, and there is no lack of wildlife or edibles to encounter in this bountiful and energized park.

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During the transition from winter to spring, the familiar poppy and lupine blanket much of California in colorfully quilted hills. At the same time another flower blooms in solitude: the Calypso Orchid. Hiding deep in the canyons, ensconced in the underbrush, this reclusive beauty goes unnoticed, only to be found by the most determined observer. Trek up the Año Nuevo trail until it plateaus, sampling yummy wild edibles like miner’s lettuce, sour lemony sorrel, and hedge nettle mint along the way. Then, keep a close watch as you begin the meandering descent. The first sighting is close to impossible, but once you spot a single orchid, dozens more seem to magically appear.

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