Trails Round

Big Rock Hole 1.8 No No Strenuous, Steep, Rocky Buckeye 2.2 No No Strenuous, Switchbacks, River Eagle Creek 1.8 No No Moderate. Mixed redwoods and evergreens Graham Hill 2.5 No Yes Easy oak woodlands Meadow 0.6 No Yes Easy grasslands and woodlands Ox Fire Road 1.4 No No Moderate redwood and mixed wood Pine Trail 4.0 No No Moderate sandhills and chaparral to observation deck Pipeline Road 6.5 Yes Yes Moderate paved road in forest Powder Mill Fire Road 2 Yes Yes Moderate sandhills and forest Powder Mill 1.4 No No Moderate mixed forest Redwood Grove 0.8 No No Easy loop through majestic redwoods Ridge Fire Road 2.0 Yes No Moderate trail through sandhills Rincon Fire Road 5 Yes No Strenuous trail, woodland and riparian forest, river River Trail 2.4 No No Easy trail in riparian forest Santa Cruz Sandhills, Mt. Umunhum, and Mt. Thayer. It was spectacular. (Note: You don’t need binoculars, a telescope, or a long camera lens, but it helps.) High above the deck, a tall thin tree was swarming with red-headed woodpeckers.

Below me, a young rider and her horse were next to the wall. I wanted to photograph them, but I was afraid I would scare one or both. I photographed the scenery instead. When a couple lunching in the shade were ready to climb up to see the view, it was time to leave my perch. Instead of returning on the Pine Trail, a wide road led me back to campground parking lot.

My next stop was Round Table Pizza in Felton. Yes, I ate the whole pizza. It was an interesting hike with great views on a beautiful day. Henry Cowell Park does have more than redwoods. The table to the right gives you a quick look at trail difficulty (easy, moderate, or strenuous), terrain, round-trip distance, and bicycle or dog regulations.

Happy exploring!