Blauert on Outdoors: See old-growth redwoods at Henry Cowell Park
Last week, I featured Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz – one of the best outdoor classrooms visited by the Merced Union High School District’s summer Environmental Science Academy during its recent summer session.
Another was the nearby Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. There are many redwoods in the Santa Cruz area, but what makes the Cowell redwoods special is they are some of the only old-growth trees remaining in the area. Redwoods can grow quickly and many of the second-growth trees are impressive, but they are nowhere near the size of the old-growth trees. Some are up to 1,800 years old, and the largest in the park is 285 feet high and 16 feet wide.
You can find the biggest trees along the rather blandly named Redwood Grove Loop Trail – a nearly level three-quarter-mile loop that is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. The loop starts at the main entrance off Highway 9 in Felton.
Getting to the park isn’t as simple as heading up Highway 9 from Santa Cruz, however. At the time of our visit and continuing through at least Sept. 25, the section of Highway 9 just south of the park is closed. You can avoid this closure by taking Graham Hill Road from Highway 1 to Felton and then turning south on Highway 9 in Felton.
If you’re interested in a longer hike, there are about 15 additional miles of adjacent trails. This part of the park is known as the main unit. Twenty additional miles of trail are at the nearby Fall Creek Unit, a bit farther north on the opposite side of Highway 9. We made a loop out of some of the trails that connect to the Redwood Grove Loop Trail, first following the River Trail along the San Lorenzo River to the Eagle Creek Trail, climbing steeply through second-growth redwoods to a surprisingly dry and sandy landscape above the tall trees. An interpretive sign along the trail told us this sand is ancient seafloor that has been uplifted.
Turning right on the Pine Trail, we continued climbing through the sand hills to an observation deck on top of the park’s highest point. At 805 feet, it provides great views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and views of the entire Monterey Bay area that are interrupted by a few trees but still very good. Interpretive signs point out towns, mountains and other landmarks.
We descended from the observation deck on the Ridge Fire Road and then used the Pipeline Road (both are basically trails sometimes used for park maintenance) to complete the loop. With the sand hills and views, the trail provided several surprises and a good workout. Although it was only about 4 miles long, the climb was steep and made more challenging by the surprising humidity and walking through the loose sand.
The park’s campground is in the main unit, but it isn’t accessed from the same entry as the Redwood Grove Loop Trail. You can find a separate campground entrance on Graham Hill Road. The loop trail to the observation deck can also be started from the campground between campsites 82 and 84. Campsites are generally $35 a night. During the summer, a wide range of educational programs are offered. Our students spent the first hour of their hike learning with an enthusiastic ranger on the Redwood Grove Loop Trail. This same experience is offered to all visitors on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. throughout July.
For updated schedules, check the park’s website and then click on the “events and activities” link on the right. You can also call 831-335-7077.
If you hike through the main unit you are likely to cross narrow-gauge railroad tracks and hear the sound of century-old locomotives. Once used for logging, these trains now haul passengers to the top of Bear Mountain and down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. They run daily during the summer, starting at Roaring Camp on Graham Hill Road – adjacent to the main unit of Henry Cowell but not a part of it. Roaring Camp is a fun place to experience the outdoors and history and can easily be combined with a hike at Henry Cowell. For more information, go to roaringcamp.com or call 831-335-4484.
While dogs are not permitted in most state parks, they are allowed on some trails in the main unit. The downloadable brochure on the website shows the trails where they are permitted. Horses are also allowed with a designated trailer parking area at the Fall Creek Unit.
This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: See old-growth redwoods at Henry Cowell Park."