Butano Camp Gear Checklist
Butano Trail Camp is an 8-site dry camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains redwoods, somewhere between 5 and 7 miles of climbing from the park's visitor center depending on who counts and which trail they walk. Fires are banned and there is no tap, so water is the whole packing question. People who hiked in carried most or all of their water, a stove for dinner, and bug and rain cover for a damp night under the canopy. The state says reservations are required.
What shapes your gear on Butano Trail Camp
- Distance: five sources, five counts
- The park map lists 5.7 miles in on the Jackson Flats and Canyon trails, though one hiker's GPS read about 7. Another trip logged 5.5 miles. A third called it about 5 miles uphill and took 2 hours 45 minutes. A fourth counted a 13-mile loop with roughly 6 miles in and 7 out. A fifth called it a 7-mile hike and spent about six hours on the trail. The fire road walk out logged 5.4 miles.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Pontoon Mama's Blog, JohnVantine.com and Slug Pace
- A dry camp with eight paired sites
- The state lists a backcountry trail camp with 8 campsites. Hikers describe a food locker at each site, a pit toilet and trash cans closest to sites 1 and 2. Sites come in pairs along side trails. One hiker found site 8 first on the way in from the south, with two flat tent spots, a fallen log for a table and two trees for a hammock.
From California State Parks, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip and Slug Pace
- Water: reports disagree by season
- On one trip streams about a mile before camp were flowing in more than one place and the hikers pumped what they needed. On a later trip the creeks at that distance were not flowing, and the largest puddle only trickled. A late-May trip found no running water, an August trip found creeks almost completely dry, and an autumn trip found a slight trickle about a half hour before camp.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip, JohnVantine.com, Pontoon Mama's Blog and Slug Pace
- Reservations: the sources disagree
- The state says reservations are required for the trail camp. An older hiker report says the camp took no reservations, that sites were first come at $10 and that he self-registered at the iron ranger. A more recent hiker had a ranger confirm a reservation and name the party.
From California State Parks, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description and Slug Pace
- Weather under the redwoods
- Fog and overnight rain hit a late-May trip and the tent packed away soaking. Another group was dripped on all night and said it sounded like rain. An August hiker got chilly after sweating on the climb. The trail is mostly shaded, with a couple of open chaparral sections that run warmer.
From JohnVantine.com, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Pontoon Mama's Blog and Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip
- Bugs, plants and signal
- Hikers report poison oak, one tick, mosquitoes (mild on one trip, plentiful at a canopy site on another), and wasps that stung two brothers. Cell signal is poor, and one hiker needed up to 30 minutes of toggling airplane mode to get a text out.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip, Pontoon Mama's Blog and JohnVantine.com
What the agency requires on Butano Trail Camp
A trail camp reservation
The state park page says Butano Trail Camp is open to backpackers and that reservations are required. It points to a separate backcountry trail camp page for the booking details.
A plan for the dog and the drone at home
Dogs may not use park trails unless they are service animals. Drones are not allowed anywhere in the park.
A day-use fee for the trailhead car
The posted vehicle day-use fee is $10. Check the page for any change.
What hikers carry on Butano Trail Camp
All of your water
One couple started with 7 liters, about 16.2 pounds, found only a trickle half an hour from camp, and advises never to rely on it. A hiker on another trip says to bring your own and treat creek water only as a bonus. An August hiker filled one small bottle on the way and carried the rest.
From Slug Pace, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip and Pontoon Mama's Blog
A pump or filter as a backup
The hikers who found flowing streams pumped at the stream they took for the last one before camp, and one later wondered whether filtering after reaching camp would have been smarter.
A backpack stove
Fires are banned at every site, so dinner comes from a stove. One hiker set the stove on the food locker lid, which doubled as a level kitchen surface. Another cooked curry on a pocket stove at camp.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip and JohnVantine.com
Insect spray and long sleeves
One hiker sprayed once on the way in so mosquitoes did not attack on breaks, and picked the breezy site to keep them down. Another said wasps along the route stung both brothers, so look for signs at the trailhead.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip and JohnVantine.com
A tent that handles a wet night
A late-May group packed a soaking tent after overnight rain. Another group's shelters were soggy from dripping redwoods. A third pair set camp chairs inside their tent to escape mosquitoes.
From JohnVantine.com, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description and Pontoon Mama's Blog
A paper map and the ranger's number left at home
The visitor center map was easier to follow than anything online, according to one hiker, who also listed the ranger station phone number to call about water levels. Another leaves the local ranger's number with a route map at home because cell service is poor.
From JohnVantine.com and Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip
A small trowel
Two hikers dug damp dirt with plastic hand trowels to smother a smoldering log at their campsite, then waited for rangers and a fire crew.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip
6 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Butano Trail Camp
Counting on creek water
Of five reports, one found good flow, one found a trickle and three found little or nothing. Carry enough for the whole trip.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip, JohnVantine.com, Pontoon Mama's Blog and Slug Pace
Firewood or a fire kit
Signs at the camp say no fires at any time, and rangers called a fire crew to a log that still smoldered from an illegal campfire two nights before.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description and Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip
Counting on staff for trail news
One hiker found the visitor center locked on arrival and a ranger who had never been up the trail. Another says not to count on a ranger at the gate and to use the self-registration box.
From Slug Pace and Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description
The dog
Dogs cannot use the park's trails, which is the only way to the camp.
Gear questions for Butano Trail Camp
Do you need a reservation for Butano Trail Camp?
The state park page says yes. An older hiker report describes first-come sites at $10 with self-registration at the iron ranger, and a recent one had a ranger confirm a reservation. Treat the state page as current and book first.
From California State Parks, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description and Slug Pace
Is there water at Butano Trail Camp?
No. Hikers call it a dry camp. Creeks along the trail ran in some years and not in others, so plan to carry all of it and treat any creek water as extra.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip and Slug Pace
Can you have a campfire at Butano Trail Camp?
No. Hikers report signs saying no campfires at any time, and a fire crew once had to put out a log left smoldering from an illegal fire.
From Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description and Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip
How far is the hike to Butano Trail Camp?
Reports range from about 5 to about 7 miles one way, most of it climbing. Walkers took from 2 hours 45 minutes to about 4 hours going up, though one pair needed about six hours, and about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours coming down.
From Pontoon Mama's Blog, Avid Backpackers: Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip, JohnVantine.com and Slug Pace
Can you bring a dog to Butano Trail Camp?
No. The state says dogs, other than service animals, are not allowed on park trails.
Sources
- Butano State Park · California State Parks · Agency
- Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park with photos and trail description · Avid Backpackers · Trip report
- Backpacking trip to Butano Trail Camp, second trip · Avid Backpackers · Trip report
- Backpacking Butano State Park · JohnVantine.com, John Vantine · Blog
- Butano State Park Backpacking · Pontoon Mama's Blog, pontoonmama · Blog
- Backpacking Butano State Park · Slug Pace, Yehudah 'Slug' · Blog