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Slate Creek Trail Camp wilderness permit area in Portola Redwoods State Park - backcountry hiking destination
ReservationOvernight

Slate Creek Trail Camp Permit

Portola Redwoods State Park · California

Trail camp on the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. Reservations are required: send the request form, then pay by phone.

“Six sites in old-growth redwoods above Pescadero Creek, in a park California State Parks describes as a hushed getaway from Silicon Valley.”

Plan your Portola Redwoods State Park trip here, then get your permit from the agency.

Plan your trip

How to get Slate Creek

Reserve by request form up to 60 days ahead, then pay by phone. The reservation is confirmed once you pay.

Official permit page

Planning another trip? See the permits we alert on.

When it opens

60 days
First come, first served from 60 days before your start dateYou book on the agency's site.

Source: parks.ca.gov

Slate Creek reservation dates

Season
Year-round
max group size
6people

How to get a Slate Creek permit

As of September 2026, Slate Creek in Portola Redwoods State Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation. Slate Creek is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. The permit season for Slate Creek runs year-round.

Type
Overnight
Location
Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

  1. Step 1: Create a California State Parks account

    Sign up at California State Parks if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.

  2. Step 2: Know the release schedule

    Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.

  3. Step 3: Be ready when permits drop

    Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.

Book at California State Parks
Learn more:
Best booking times

Slate Creek pro tips

  1. Submit the request form the day your dates come inside 60 days. A request is not a reservation until you pay by phone.
  2. Requests are only processed weekdays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., so anything sent on a Friday evening waits for Monday.
  3. Plan to reach camp well before sunset. Hikers must be off trails by sunset and a late arrival is turned back at the trailhead.
  4. Carry all your water and a way to treat creek water as a backup.
  5. Do not count on a phone. State Parks says it is unlikely your mobile will have coverage in the backcountry.
  6. Groups of 13 or more can only book Sunday through Thursday, so plan a midweek trip rather than fighting for a Saturday.
  7. Changes and cancellations need a full 48 hours notice on (831) 338-8867, which is also when someone else's cancellation appears.

More on Slate Creek: Live availability activityWhen Slate Creek permits open upDo I need a Slate Creek Trail Camp permit?

How much a Slate Creek permit costs

Slate Creek permit fee: Trail camp fees are $15 per site, per night, with a maximum of six people per site. There is an $8 non-refundable reservation fee. Vehicle day use at the park is $10.

The Slate Creek hike

Route Type
Out & Back
Duration
1-2 nights
Difficulty
Moderate

Slate Creek landmarks

  1. 1Slate Creek Trail Camp

    Six backcountry sites in Portola Redwoods State Park

  2. 2Pescadero Creek

    The year-round creek the park is built around

  3. 3Portola Redwoods Visitor Center

    Open Monday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the park may close in severe weather

Six sites in old-growth redwoods above Pescadero Creek, in a park California State Parks describes as a hushed getaway from Silicon Valley.

About this permit

Slate Creek Trail Camp is one of four backcountry trail camps still operating in the Santa Cruz Mountains state parks, alongside Castle Rock, Waterman Gap and Butano or Slate Creek. All trail camps in Big Basin Redwoods State Park remain closed due to extensive fire damage from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which is why these four carry the whole of the Bay Area's state park backpacking demand. ReserveCalifornia lists six sites here.

Portola Redwoods is a canyon park, which matters for planning: the park warns that in severe weather it might be closed altogether, and day use runs only from 6 a.m. to sunset. Dogs are allowed at Portola only on campsites and paved roads, and the trail camp rules exclude them from the camps and trails entirely.

Booking does not go through ReserveCalifornia. Submit a Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form online up to 60 days in advance. Staff process requests Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. An approved request is held only until 5 p.m. the following business day pending payment, which is taken by phone on (831) 338-8867, and the permit is emailed once paid. Sending a request is not a reservation. It becomes one when it is paid. Changes and cancellations must be made a full 48 hours in advance on the same number.

Fees are $15 per site per night with a maximum of six people per site, plus an $8 non-refundable reservation fee. You may reserve up to two campsites per reservation. For groups of 13 or more the non-refundable reservation fee is a flat $25 no matter how many campsites are booked, and group reservations are allowed Sunday through Thursday only, not on weekends.

The camps are primitive: bring your own water, and treat any surface water before drinking it.

The route

Portola Redwoods State Park runs day use from 6 a.m. to sunset, with the visitor center open Monday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the park notes it may close in severe weather. ReserveCalifornia lists six sites at Slate Creek. Reservations for Slate Creek go through the Santa Cruz Mountains backcountry trail camp request process rather than through the park's own campground booking. Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots.

Why it matters

Slate Creek is the Portola Redwoods entry in the four-camp Santa Cruz Mountains system, and it is the one that puts you deepest into intact old-growth. Portola Redwoods sits in a canyon rather than on a ridge, which makes it darker, wetter and quieter than the Skyline camps. The six sites go through the same 60-day request process as the rest.

The feeling

The park describes several trails following meandering creeks where moisture-loving coast redwoods stand tall among thick ferns and redwood sorrel, and that is exactly what the walk in is. It is dim at ground level even at midday, and it is one of the few places this close to Silicon Valley where you hear nothing built.

Slate Creek hike highlights

  1. six sites, with a maximum of six people on each
  2. A 60-day booking horizon through a request form, not ReserveCalifornia
  3. Requests processed weekdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., paid by phone, permit emailed
  4. No drinking water: the camps are primitive and surface water has to be treated
  5. No mobile coverage in the backcountry
  6. A sunset deadline for being off the trails, enforced at the trailhead
  7. No dogs, on trails or in camp

How hard the Slate Creek hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required2/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential2/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity2/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route2/5

Best for: Bay Area backpackers, first-timers included, and anyone walking a section of the open Skyline-to-the-Sea corridor.

Recommended experience: None beyond carrying a pack a few miles and being able to treat water if you use a creek.

Not recommended for: Dog owners, groups of 13 or more hoping for a weekend, and anyone who cannot get to camp before sunset.

Trailhead information

Portola Redwoods headquarters (end of Portola State Park Road)

Primary

Slate Creek Trail Camp is 2.7 miles from park headquarters.

  • Restrooms
  • Water on site

Before you rely on this water

A faucet with potable water is outside the visitor center. Slate Creek is about an eighth of a mile away.

Parking

$10 vehicle day-use fee. Extra vehicles are $10 per vehicle per night, paid at the entrance station or the self-registration station. Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots; display your permit.

Getting There

From Highway 35, turn west onto Alpine Road, go 3 miles, and turn onto Portola State Park Road, which dead ends in the park. Use low gear. Both roads are steep and winding. Expect a 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive from most Bay Area locations. Day use hours are 6 am to sunset, and in severe weather the park might be closed.

Nearest Services

La Honda: the nearest groceries are in Sky Londa and La Honda, 9 miles away on Highway 84. There is no gasoline available at or near the park and no store in or near the park.

When to hike Slate Creek

Best time to visit

Spring through autumn. This is a damp canyon and the winter rainy season is wet, with the added risk that the park closes in severe weather. Spring is the best of both: the creek is running and the redwood understory is at its greenest.

Peak
April through October
Shoulder
November through March

  • Spring

    Green, damp underfoot early on, and the best all-round backpacking weather of the year.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Creeks running
    • Advantage: Comfortable temperatures
    • Advantage: Redwood understory at its greenest
    • Challenge: Bay Area weekend demand on a small number of sites
    • Challenge: Mud after rain
    • Challenge: Fire season restrictions begin

  • Summer

    Dry and warm, with coastal fog on the seaward side. Fire restrictions in force.

    Crowd level · extreme

    • Advantage: Long days
    • Advantage: Reliable weather
    • Advantage: Fog in the redwoods is the classic look
    • Challenge: The hardest season to get a request approved
    • Challenge: No fires anywhere in the system
    • Challenge: Creeks at their lowest

  • Fall

    Warm, dry and clear, with the crowds easing after Labor Day.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Stable weather
    • Advantage: Fewer people than summer
    • Advantage: Comfortable nights
    • Challenge: Fire season usually runs well into autumn
    • Challenge: Water sources at their lowest
    • Challenge: Shorter days against a sunset deadline

  • Winter

    The rainy season. Wet, green, and the quietest time in the trail camp system.

    Crowd level · low

    • Advantage: Best availability of the year
    • Advantage: Creeks and waterfalls at full strength
    • Advantage: Redwoods at their best in fog and rain
    • Challenge: Rain and mud
    • Challenge: Very short days against the sunset trail deadline
    • Challenge: Cold, damp nights

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (5,000 ft)

⚠️

Backcountry Tips

  • Day 5: Extreme heat (95°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
  • Day 7: Extreme heat (95°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.

Today

☀️

86°

50°

Wed

☀️

86°

61°

Thu

☁️

83°

54°

Fri

☁️

93°

60°

Sat

☀️

95°

63°

Sun

☀️

93°

62°

Mon

☀️

95°

64°

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

Slate Creek photography guide

Golden Hour

Low evening light through redwood trunks, which is the shot this whole range is about.

Best Light

Fog. The Santa Cruz Mountains are at their best when the marine layer is moving through the canopy.

Beat the Crowds

The camps are small and the system is reservation-only with no dispersed camping, so there is never a crowd once you are in. Midweek requests are also far more likely to be approved.

Classic Shots

  1. Redwood trunks receding into fog
  2. Creek and fern understory in flat, overcast light
  3. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail corridor in early morning
  4. Camp under redwoods with a stove going at dusk

Slate Creek rules, gear and safety

Gear checklist

Required
  • All your drinking water. State Parks says the trail camps are primitive and to bring your own; surface water must be treated before drinking
  • A backpacking stove, which is permitted in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger
  • A headlamp: you must be off the trails by sunset, so camp chores happen after dark
  • Rain gear through the wet season, which in the Santa Cruz Mountains is most of the winter
  • Tree straps if you are hanging a hammock, and never on a redwood

Rules & regulations

  1. 01Trail camps are open by reservation only and no dispersed camping is allowed; camp only in your assigned trail camp
  2. 02A maximum of six people per site, and you may reserve up to two campsites per reservation
  3. 03Group reservations for 13 or more are allowed Sunday through Thursday only, not on weekends, arranged on (831) 338-8867
  4. 04Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots; do not park along highways or in undesignated areas
  5. 05Hikers must be off trails by sunset; arriving after sunset means you will not be permitted to start your trip
  6. 06No ground fires of any kind. The only exception in the whole system is the designated metal fire rings at Castle Rock Trail Camp during the rainy season
  7. 07Backpacking stoves may be used for cooking in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger
  8. 08No smoking on any trail or in any trail camp
  9. 09Do not wash dishes or clothing in creeks, and do not bathe in creeks
  10. 10Never feed wildlife or allow wildlife to access your food
  11. 11No dogs are allowed in the trail camps or on the trails, and no horses are allowed in the trail camps
  12. 12No bikes on single-track; bikes are permitted on fire roads only
  13. 13Campers must display permits when parking and carry their backcountry permit at all times
  14. 14Campers under 18 must provide written permission from a guardian or be accompanied by one
  15. 15Hammocks may be used with tree straps only and must not be attached to any redwood trees

Hazards & considerations

  • No mobile coverage. In an emergency, call 911 from a pay phone near a ranger station or a call box on Highway 1 or Highway 9 and a ranger will be dispatched
  • A sunset trail deadline that is enforced at the trailhead: late arrivals are not permitted to start
  • Fire danger, which closes even the one permitted fire location in the system
  • Poison oak throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains understory
  • Creek water that must be treated if you use it at all

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Slate Creek.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Slate Creek · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.

Slate Creek FAQ

How do I reserve Slate Creek Trail Camp?

Through the Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form on the Santa Cruz Mountains Backcountry Trail Camps page, up to 60 days in advance, not through ReserveCalifornia. Staff process requests Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., hold an approved request until 5 p.m. the following business day, and take payment by phone on (831) 338-8867. Your permit is emailed once you have paid.

How many people can stay on a site at Slate Creek Trail Camp?

Six. California State Parks sets a maximum of six people per site across all four Santa Cruz Mountains trail camps, and you may reserve up to two campsites per reservation.

How much does Slate Creek Trail Camp cost?

$15 per site, per night, plus an $8 non-refundable reservation fee. For groups of 13 or more reserving more than two sites, the non-refundable reservation fee is a flat $25 regardless of how many sites are booked.

Is there water at Slate Creek Trail Camp?

No. California State Parks says the trail camps are primitive and to bring your own water. If you choose to use surface water you will need to treat it before drinking. Do not wash dishes or clothing in the creeks and do not bathe in them.

Can I have a campfire at Slate Creek Trail Camp?

No. No ground fires of any kind are allowed. The only exception anywhere in this system is the designated metal fire rings at Castle Rock Trail Camp during the rainy season. Backpacking stoves may be used for cooking in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger.

Are dogs allowed at Slate Creek Trail Camp?

No. Dogs are not allowed in the trail camps or on the trails anywhere in the Santa Cruz Mountains trail camp system.

Are the Big Basin trail camps open?

No. All trail camps in Big Basin Redwoods State Park are closed due to extensive fire damage. The four camps still operating are Castle Rock, Waterman Gap, Butano and Slate Creek, and the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is open from Castle Rock State Park to the Big Basin Redwoods day-use area.

Slate Creek trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

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Alternatives to a Slate Creek permit

  • Same AreaPermit required

    Butano Trail Camp

    Eight sites in the redwood canyon at Butano State Park, nearer the coast.

    Tradeoffs

    A couple more sites and closer to the ocean, but a longer drive from the Peninsula.

  • Same AreaPermit required

    Castle Rock Trail Camp

    The 20-site camp on the Skyline ridge, with bathrooms, tables and fire rings.

    Tradeoffs

    The biggest camp in the system and the only one with first-come sites, but on an exposed ridge rather than in old growth.

  • Same AreaPermit required

    Waterman Gap Trail Camp

    Six sites on the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail in Castle Rock State Park.

    Tradeoffs

    The same size, on the through-trail rather than in a side canyon.

Where to stay near Slate Creek

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