2025-08-10 15 14 33 Coast Redwoods five years after the CZU Lightning Complex fires near the main entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, California.jpg
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Statue Of Responsibility–Johansen Road, 4 sights is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Big Basin Redwoods State Park near Butano Park, CA. The route reaches The Statue Of Responsibility at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 3,711 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 90/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi325 – 2,067 ft · steepest grade: 25%16.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Gazos Creek Road 37.19733, -122.29337
Nearest town Butano Park, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

The Statue Of Responsibility–Johansen Road, 4 sights

15.9 mi · ▲ 3,711 ft · 7 hr 9 min

Elevation 324–2,065 ft

Out & Back · Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Trailhead: Gazos Creek Road · 37.19733, -122.29337

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:11 PM

  1. Start on Gazos Creek Road, heading NE.
  2. 450 ftSharp right, heading S.
  3. 1.4 miSharp left onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading E.
  4. 0.5 miTurn left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NW.
  5. 350 ftSharp right onto Johansen Road, heading E.
  6. 2.6 miBear right onto Middle Ridge Road, heading E.
  7. 2.7 miSharp right onto Dool Trail, heading N.
  8. 0.4 miBear left onto Skyline To The Sea Trail, heading SE.
  9. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  10. 200 ftReach The Statue Of Responsibility, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 0.2 miBear right onto Dool Trail, heading NW.
  12. 0.4 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NW.
  13. 2.7 miBear left onto Johansen Road, heading N.
  14. 2.6 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading W.
  15. 350 ftTurn right onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading W.
  16. 0.5 miSharp right, heading NW.
  17. 1.4 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NE.
  18. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

46% dirt54% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:11 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.0 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 6:05 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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Other ways to reach this destination

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