The area known as Little Basin has a long and colorful history.

Although precise dates cannot be given, the basin floor shows signs of habitation by local Native Americans. Among clear signs are the grinding holes found in the sandstone rock outcroppings located around the basin floor. These holes may once have been used to grind local fruits or nuts.

The first recorded activities in the Little Basin area were two logging operations. The first took place from 1885 to 1895 and the second from 1908 to 1910. The stumps of the majestic trees that once stood on the basin floor can be seen around the camping area and on the trails. Around most of these stumps is an arc of young redwoods that has grown from the roots of these fallen giants. If you look closely enough at these tall stumps, you can still see the notches cut in the base to support springboards the lumberjacks stood on as they cut the trees with large "two-handed" saws.

Shortly after the last logging operation ended, a fire burned through the Big Basin and Little Basin area. Although destructive, the fire rejuvenated the forest. You can still see charred or hollowed out stumps around the campsite and on the trails. Back in the west side of the recreation site is a giant redwood on its side, hollowed out by fire, with a cavity big enough for a child to walk through.

From 1935 to 1940, Little Basin’s owner attempted to use the property as a cattle ranch. Thin topsoil prevented range-quality grass from growing, and the ranch was abandoned. It was during this venture that the owner built the Little Basin Reservoir Dam to provide a year-round source of water for the cattle and grass.

In 1940, the owner sold the land to a Mr. Rohn, who used the property as a military surplus depot, refurbishing World War II equipment. This equipment would later be sold to local contractors and other interested individuals. To provide space to store the equipment, Rohn cut down trees and leveled off terraces in the area which is now used for picnic parking.

To help provide a continuous supply of potable water to Little Basin, Rohn built the Coffer Spring Dam in the west hill above the basin floor. The pipe used to bring the water into Little Basin was formerly used to supply diesel fuel to the Pacific Fleet at Guadalcanal. Portions of this pipe can still be seen on the campsite floor. Coffer Spring Dam, although no longer used for potable water, is still a working dam and can be seen by hiking the Coffer Spring Dam trail.

On February 13, 1963, HP founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard purchased the Little Basin property from Hazel Rohn. The HP company had sold its smaller Felton campground along the San Lorenzo River and decided to make Little Basin a place where HP could accommodate larger company picnics.

From 1963 to 1973, the campsite area was developed by HP employee volunteers who needed a place to set up their tents during weekend work parties or during company picnic setups. The employees developed individual sites to their liking, and some sites were so personalized that nobody could camp in them without first asking that person if they were going to be there that weekend.

The picnic area was also developed through the efforts of HP employee volunteers. The picnic tables currently in the picnic area were designed by Bill Hewlett. The lumber was cut to length in HP's carpentry shop in Palo Alto, trucked to Little Basin and assembled.

Volunteers also made use of the natural resources that Little Basin offered. The current cookshack structure and the bandstand were constructed from one fallen redwood tree milled on-site.

On March 10, 1978, the Little Basin area was rezoned as a Timberland Preservation Zone. This placed restrictions on the use of the land for both harvesting and development.

In 1991, HP created a ten-year master plan to develop and improve the site further, within county guidelines. This plan included a new operations center, water treatment facility, restroom remodeling, maintenance center, tent cabins, sports court and field, children's play area and road paving. All projects were complete by 2001.

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