Hiking is one of my favorite weekend activities! After spending five workdays sitting in front of a computer screen, it's so refreshing to get outdoors and enjoy nature.
This past weekend, we ventured to HENRY COWELL REDWOODS STATE PARK for some adventuring. The park is off highway 9 on the way to Santa Cruz, and is pretty easy to reach by car. True to its name, the park does boast some really beautiful redwoods!
We started on the Pipeline Road, and from there we went on the River Trail. I'm sure the river is beautiful during non-drought season, but unfortunately, it was looking pretty dry.
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| Michelle, Mattics, and I! Michelle took some of these pics :) |
The park is also home to the Roaring Camp railroad, a tourist-friendly, slow-moving train that runs through some of the most beautiful parts of the forest. We kept hearing the train whistle from afar, so we knew it must be nearby. Eventually, the trail intersected with railroad tracks!
This rickety wooden bridge is not for those who fear heights!
After venturing down the track a while, we went back to the main trail to see more of the beautiful redwood trees! You could see where "parent" trees once stood, because there would be a ring of smaller young trees growing in a circle. Despite how dry the river was, the deeper parts of the forest trails were still very lush and green.
We didn't really follow the trail too strictly -- this hike was more of an exploration than an actual structured plan. Eventually, it joined back up with the railroad tracks, which we walked along until we saw graffiti-covered signs. We figured that it had to mean something, so we followed the trail downhill until we found a swimming hole!
There are actually a few different swimming holes on the map, so I'm not really sure which one it is, but Mattics said it's the Big Rock Hole! A few people had already set up camp there with towels, swimsuits, and full picnic gear. We weren't prepared for that, so we just admired the scene and made a mental note to come back later in the summer.
We left at just the right time, because as we were walking back to the trail, the Roaring Camp train came rolling by! It's a pretty slow train, so we waved to all the passengers and joked about hopping onto the train and hitching a ride back :p
Our hike back to base was just as scenic as the way there! Instead of wandering on and off the trail, we chose to just follow the railroad tracks all the way back to the trailhead. It was a beautiful and relaxing walk, and we even found a tiny teepee!
On the way back, we also stopped by the Redwood Loop, which is a short trail near the Visitor Center that highlights some of the most interesting trees and plants. One of the main attractions was a giant redwood, one of the largest in the entire park! You really feel so small when you are among these majestic trees...
Overall, this was a nice preview of Henry Cowell Redwoods! Next time, I would love to do a full loop trail and explore the other beaches along the way. Just looking at this map, there are at least 4 different trails to try. Who wants to come with us?? :D Adventure is out there!
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| Image Credit: Boulter.com |
