Rooted in these parks since 1973.
About Mountain Parks Foundation.
Photo by Bill Rhoades © CA State Parks
Who We Are
Mountain Parks Foundation is the only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to Henry Cowell and Big Basin Redwoods State Parks. Since 1973, we have partnered with California State Parks to fund programs, support staff, engage volunteers, and deepen the connection between people and these remarkable places so they are valued and protected for generations to come.
We are headquartered inside Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where a small staff and dedicated volunteer team work every day to ensure these parks remain places of wonder, learning, and belonging for everyone who visits.
How We Work Together
Mountain Parks Foundation works alongside California State Parks as a trusted partner, not managing the land but championing it.
As one of California's earliest State Park Cooperating Associations, Mountain Parks Foundation fills the gaps that help these parks thrive. We provide funding for programs and capital projects, support interpretive and operational staff, recruit and manage volunteers, perform retail operations, and connect the public to the stories and science that make these places extraordinary.
Our role is not to stand in front of the parks. It is to stand behind them, quietly and consistently, so the experiences they offer remain rich, accessible, and lasting.
Our Work in the Parks
We invest where it matters most: in the experiences that turn visitors into lifelong stewards.
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We partner with California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks to bring students from Title 1 schools to Henry Cowell and Big Basin. By reducing barriers to access, we make sure a first trip to the redwoods is possible for every child, regardless of where they come from.
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Led by California State Park naturalists, these one to three night trips take hikers through old growth redwood forests, spectacular ridgelines, and sandy shores. Every trip is designed to build a deeper, more personal relationship with the land.
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Trail signs, information panels, maps, and guides funded by Mountain Parks Foundation help visitors understand what they are seeing, and why it matters.
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Offered each summer at Henry Cowell, Moonlight Madness combines guided night walks, telescope star viewing, live music, and guest speakers into an evening that feels unlike anything else.
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The Sandhills Mobile Visitor Center brings the story of Henry Cowell's ancient inland sea directly to campground visitors, offering a unique window into the geological history that makes this place unlike anywhere else on earth.
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Open year-round, the Visitor Center is the starting point for exploring Henry Cowell. It offers educational exhibits, program information, and a welcoming space before visitors head out on the trails.
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While the former Nature Museum was lost to the flames of the CZU fire in 2020, its spirit is central to the "Reimagining Big Basin" vision. We are supporting the development of a state-of-the-art Visitor Center at the park’s new Gateway, featuring dedicated exhibits and research spaces. This reimagined hub will serve as the starting point for visitors to connect deeply with the redwood ecosystem and its ongoing recovery.
Learn More
Message from Our Executive Director
These parks are more than beautiful places. They are living reminders that we are part of a bigger story, one that asks something of us in return.
The redwoods have stood for centuries. They have weathered fire, drought, and time. What they need now is us. People who are willing to show up, give back, and ensure that what exists here today is still here for the children who have not yet had the chance to stand beneath these trees and look up.
Mountain Parks Foundation exists to build that bridge. We fund the field trips that bring school children to the redwoods for the first time. We restore nature museums and cultural exhibits. We create programs that invite people in and give them a reason to return. Every experience we support is designed to do one thing: help people fall in love with this place so they want to protect it.
We are grateful for every person who has walked these trails, volunteered their time, made a gift, or simply told a friend about Henry Cowell or Big Basin. You are part of this, too.
We hope you will join us.
Brenda Holmes, Executive Director
Photo by Danny Halvorson
Our Projects
Big Basin Nature Museum & Research Center
We believe the best way to encourage the next generation of stewards to protect the natural bounty of Big Basin is to invite them to interact with it. The beautifully remodeled Nature Museum & Research Center, previously scheduled to reopen in 2021, promised to provide an immersive experience designed to turn spectators into active participants in conservation. Unfortunately, our beautiful new museum was completely destroyed by the CZU Fire in August 2020.
Photo by Dave Kuty
Ohlone Day
For more than three decades, we’ve celebrated the Ohlone People of the past with those of the present at our annual Ohlone Day. We’ve provided funding for traditional dancers and Ohlone demonstrators to share the history, basketry, songs, stories, tools, musical instruments and language of the Ohlone people. The coronavirus pandemic required the cancellation of this beloved event, but we hope to resume Ohlone Day as soon as possible.
Photo by Danny Halvorson
Interpretive Signage
Trail signs, information panels, books, guides, and maps are just a few of the interpretive tools funded by Mountain Parks Foundation. Click here for a look at an example of our projects - the beautiful Welcome Panel installed near the main parking lot at Henry Cowell. We are currently funding educational signs and maps to support the limited re-opening of portions of Big Basin happening soon.
California State Parks Backpacking Adventures
Who better to lead you through our parks than California State Park naturalists? We are proud to support backpacking trips that range from one to three nights offering options for every experience level. Hike spectacular ridgelines, old growth redwood forests, and sandy shores with a knowledgeable team of backcountry guides. Native plant teas, trail desserts, skills demonstrations, campfire stories and jokes are added bonuses! Online registration begins on Tuesday, March 1st at 9am!
Spotting Scope
What pairs perfectly with an Observation Deck? A spotting scope, of course! Our high-powered scope offers curious visitors the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the wildlife and stunning views on display at Henry Cowell’s Observation Deck
Photo by Charles Jalgunas
Image from Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Kids2Parks Program
Kids2Parks is an innovative park-equity program to bring students from Title 1 schools on State Parks field trips. We partner with California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks to increase the number of students visiting Henry Cowell by reducing barriers to access.
Moonlight Madness
Enjoy a special evening of astronomy and galactic exploration offered several times each summer at Henry Cowell. Moonlight guided walks, telescope star viewing, live music, and guest speakers make for an experience you won’t soon forget.
Henry Cowell Visitor Center
The Henry Cowell Visitor Center is usually open year-round and provides a hub of activities and educational experiences. Visit the the center before heading off on the redwood loop trail through the old-growth forest.
Photo by Bill Rhoades
Resources for State Park Staff
We provide resources to support the work of interpretive staff in our parks including training materials, books, back country gear, and innovative additions like electric bikes.
Sandhills Mobile Visitor Center
The Sandhills Mobile Visitor Center gives visitors to the Henry Cowell campgrounds a unique perspective on the remnants of an ancient inland sea that exists nowhere else but here.
Photo by Bill Rhodes
Berry Creek Falls Observation Platform
The platform allowed hikers along the Berry Creek Falls Trail in Big Basin to enjoy a great viewing deck near the base of a tumbling waterfall, with benches that provided a perfect spot for a scenic break. Unfortunately, the observation platform was destroyed by the CZU Fire in August 2020.