Nature’s Comeback: Five Bay Area Parks to See Wildfire Recovery Up Close

Can you believe it’s been five years since those intense, smoky days of August 2020? Back then, wildfires sparked by late-summer lightning storms swept through the region. Nowadays, humans, wildlife, trees, and trails have made great strides in springing back. If you enjoy outdoorsy activities, you’ve likely seen the big fires’ imprints up close. On some beloved trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains, for example, resilient redwoods show the charred scars left by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Fortunately, wildfire recovery is in full swing, and there are plenty of hopeful sights too, from sprouting seedlings to returning wildlife. It’s a great time to revisit the landscapes we love and witness the unfolding story of renewal in progress. Read on to learn about science, plus which parks you can visit to see nature’s comeback on dazzling display.

How Forests Recover

Wildfires, it so happens, contain multitudes. While often destructive, they are a natural force that has long shaped our local terrain. In fact, Bay Area ecosystems have evolved with fire, and they depend on periodic burning to stay strong and diverse. As such, forests bounce back from wildfire through a mix of natural resilience and human intervention. 

After a wildfire, the land might look destroyed, but it’s actually at the outset of a transformation. Ecological succession is the natural process of change in plant and animal communities after a disturbance like a wildfire. Over time, different species take turns shaping the environment. Early species are adapted to harsh conditions, but as they grow, they change things—like the soil or shade levels—which makes it easier for new species to move in. This cycle continues until the ecosystem reaches a more stable, balanced state.

But healing isn’t always left to nature alone. Land managers play a crucial role. At San Vicente Redwoods, for example, POST and our partners set about removing hazardous dead trees, rebuilding damaged trails and infrastructure, and conducting prescribed burns or forest thinning to reduce future fire risk. We also plant native species in areas where natural regeneration is slow, and monitor for invasive plants that can outcompete natives in the disturbed soil. Together, these natural processes and human actions help guide the forest toward a more resilient, healthy future.

Not All Fires Are Alike

During the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, some areas burned at high severity, causing widespread destruction. Other areas burned at low severity, with fire staying close to the ground, clearing space for new brush and seedlings while leaving larger trees and the canopy intact. That gentler kind of fire is what today’s fire mitigation efforts aim for—it helps keep forests healthy and reduces the risk of future extreme fires. To learn more about how California’s forests have co-evolved with fire, check out our recent webinar. Have any kids in your crew? The Tree Explorer’s Handbook is a trusted resource to try.

Five Bay Area Parks to See Wildfire Recovery Up Close

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

near Boulder Creek

Five years ago this month, the CZU Lightning Complex fires spread throughout Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The wildfires blazed for 37 days, and flames burned through 97% of the park’s 18,000 acres, destroying the trees’ verdant canopy. Today, new growth lines the reopened trails. While trekking through ferns and shrubs, banana slugs and bird song will greet you, all thanks to the returning creatures who have mapped out new homes. In contrast to the decimated Douglas-fir population, ancient coast redwoods still stand as sentinels of survival. Not only did 97% of these trees withstand the fire. Of those that died, several sprouted new saplings, resulting in fairy rings.

DID YOU KNOW

Fire-damaged redwoods can clone themselves? After a blaze, some redwoods may look dead on the outside. But down below, they’re regrowing from an underground stem, duplicating themselves into mini-mes.

Henry Cowell State Park – Fall Creek Unit

Felton

During the CZU Lightning Complex fire, the second-growth redwood trees at this lush, shaded park weathered flames for the first time in 100 years. Back in the late 19th century, settlers extensively logged the forest to make fuel for lime kilns. This extractive industry left the landscape bare. As such, when the trees grew back, they formed dense clusters. Overcrowding made it easier for fire to intensify, sweeping through the packed canopy. The trails reopened in mid-2022, following extensive trail stewardship from an array of organizations and crews. Since the small lot fills quickly on the weekends, this park is ideal for a weekday hike. Keep an eye out for banana slugs, newts, and woodpeckers as you stroll along the glistening creek.

DID YOU KNOW

Banana slugs can burrow up to nine feet underground to estivate — a summer version of hibernation. To keep from drying out, they coat themselves in a protective layer of mucus.

Butano State Park

Pescadero

Restoring local parks is not just about recovering from a specific blaze. Local agencies are also partnering to improve biodiversity and strengthen forests’ resilience to future wildfires and climate change. Some tactics include thinning out dense forests to make room for new growth and sunlight and using prescribed burns to mimic natural fire patterns. The fire’s behavior at Butano was milder than other parks, and the canopy remained intact, which means hikers will enjoy plenty of shade. It’s also more serene and secluded than other redwood-filled parks. You’ll find solace among the ferns, sorrel, and ridgetop views.

DID YOU KNOW

The marbled murrelet, a threatened seabird from the same family as puffins, sometimes nests in old-growth redwoods? To protect them, it’s important for park visitors to be crumb clean; that is, never feed wildlife or leave food unattended!

San Vicente Redwoods

Santa Cruz

When the CZU Fire swept through San Vicente Redwoods, a legacy of fire suppression, clearcut logging, and the forced end of Indigenous fire practices had left thick vegetation covering much of the landscape. During the blaze, nearly all of San Vicente Redwoods’ 8,800 acres burned — about 10% of the CZU Fire’s total area. On the park’s trails, you can witness a forest that’s actively rebounding from recent wildfire and past clearcut logging. Along the trail system, you’ll see songbirds and raptors, as well as oaks and other broadleaf tree species at different stages of post-fire recovery.

DID YOU KNOW

Some plants only sprout after fire? Since the 2020 CZU Fire, biologists have spotted rare species in Santa Cruz County that waited years for the right conditions to grow. As you hike, look out for more common fire-followers like yerba santa—an aromatic shrub with leathery leaves and purple flowers.

Henry W. Coe State Park

Morgan Hill

In August and September 2020, the SCU Lightning Complex Fire burned around two-thirds of the park’s 87,000 acres. Fortunately, most of the fire spread at a low intensity, primarily consuming highly flammable grass, brush, and downed logs in the understory without torching the trees’ canopy. And, according to one early damage assessment, none of the mature Ponderosa pines burned. Biologists noted that, since the lands in the sparsely populated Diablo Range are well adapted to fire, a slow-moving blaze like this one actually rejuvenates the area  in several ways, like clearing out invasive species. This park contains both gentle loops and strenuous backpacking routes. You’ll see golden hills and an incredible array of grasses; in fact, 42 species have been identified in the park.

DID YOU KNOW

Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus), a hardy shrub found in Henry Coe State Park, is impressively fire-adapted. In fact, research shows that its seeds germinate five times better after being boiled for two minutes—mimicking the intense heat of a wildfire. It’s nature’s way of making sure new plants spring to life after the flames die down.

Wildfire Recovery for the Win

Whether you’re wandering through ancient redwoods or exploring golden grasslands, the post-fire landscapes of local ranges tell a powerful story of resilience. These ecosystems are not just recovering — they’re evolving, shaped by fire, time, and the care of people working to protect them. As you hit the trails, take a moment to notice the new life emerging around you. Each sprouting seedling, returning bird, and regrowing tree is part of a bigger comeback. Nature’s recovery is underway — and there’s no better time to observe it.