Do I need a permit to backpack Butano Trail Camp?
Yes. You need a permit to backpack Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park, and it is booked in advance through a reservation system rather than won in a lottery.
Permit required
What the Butano Trail Camp permit costs and covers
- 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.
- Group size limit
- 6 people
- Season starts
- Year-round
- Season ends
- Year-round
What the rules require
- Trail camps are open by reservation only and no dispersed camping is allowed; camp only in your assigned trail camp
- A maximum of six people per site, and you may reserve up to two campsites per reservation
- Group reservations for 13 or more are allowed Sunday through Thursday only, not on weekends, arranged on (831) 338-8867
- Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots - do not park along highways or in undesignated areas
- Hikers must be off trails by sunset; arriving after sunset means you will not be permitted to start your trip
- No 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
- Backpacking stoves may be used for cooking in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger
- No smoking on any trail or in any trail camp
- Do not wash dishes or clothing in creeks, and do not bathe in creeks
- Never feed wildlife or allow wildlife to access your food
- No dogs are allowed in the trail camps or on the trails, and no horses are allowed in the trail camps
- No bikes on single-track; bikes are permitted on fire roads only
- Campers must display permits when parking and carry their backcountry permit at all times
- Campers under 18 must provide written permission from a guardian or be accompanied by one
- Hammocks may be used with tree straps only and must not be attached to any redwood trees
Published rules for the Butano Trail Camp, quoted as written.
Getting one
Dates for Butano Trail Camp sell out and then come back as people cancel. PermitSnag watches Butano Trail Camp and sends you an alert the moment one reappears.
Common questions about the Butano Trail Camp permit
Do I need a permit to backpack Butano Trail Camp?
Yes. You need a permit to backpack Butano Trail Camp in Butano State Park, and it is booked in advance through a reservation system rather than won in a lottery.
How much does a Butano Trail Camp permit cost?
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..
How many people can be on one Butano Trail Camp permit?
6 people.
When is the Butano Trail Camp permit season?
Season starts: Year-round. Season ends: Year-round.