When bay area hikers host tourists in the summer, and they beg to see "the" redwoods, most of us grit our teeth and truck them out to Muir Woods. The bay area's most popular natural history spot, Muir Woods is always pretty busy, but it is crazy in the summer. Impressive redwoods can be found at a few other places around San Francisco (such as Redwood Regional Park in the east bay and Portola Redwoods in the south bay), but the park that comes closest to capturing that Muir Woods magic might be Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, outside Guerneville in Sonoma County. Driving to Guerneville for a day hike means a lot of time on the road, so consider making a weekend out of it. Combine Armstrong Redwoods with wine tasting in Napa or Sonoma County, a visit to Jack London State Park, or a canoe trip on the Russian River, for a memorable wine country experience, one that active out-of-town guests should appreciate. If you care to camp, Austin Creek State Recreation Area sprawls just north of Armstrong Redwoods, and features 23 car camping sites, and 4 back country hike-in sites (one only 3.2 miles from parking).
      Armstrong Redwoods is a small reserve, with just over 800 acres, and features only a handful of trails. The Discovery and Pioneer Trails wander levelly along the canyon floor through the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest in Sonoma County, much in the manner of Muir Woods. Pool Ridge Trail and East Ridge Trail climb from an elevation around 150 feet, through the forest, and then leave the reserve to climb some more in the hills of Austin Creek. A loop combining East Ridge and Pool Ridge is a manageable length, but involves a lot of elevation change and some steep grades.
     For the featured hike, start at the eastern (hill) side of the visitor center parking lot and look for the signed start of the East Ridge Trail. This dirt path, open to equestrians and hikers only, is signed "Steep Trail," which may be a bit of an exaggeration, but probably scares most visitors back to the canyon floor. East Ridge Trail climbs almost completely under cover of redwood, Douglas fir, tanoak, madrone, and California bay. In the spring, you may see starflower, redwood sorrel, hound's tongue, and in early summer, trillium. The grade is mostly bearable, with a few steep stretches, and heart-sinking descents followed by inevitable ascents. The trail is eroded in places and tree roots are easy to trip over. A couple of benches are convenient when you need a rest, although there are no views to speak of, just snatches of the west ridge occasionally glimpsed through the thick forest. Some shrubs, such as huckleberry, creambush, wood rose, and hazelnut, flourish in the deep shade. Monkeyflower is about the latest blooming plant; look for orange flowers that persist into summer. Beware of a few spots that look like junctions. This is a long 1.2 mile stretch, but you'll know the junction when you see it. Deer are common, and you may see turkeys, which scratch their way through fallen leaves looking for insects. At 1.2 miles (as promised), you reach the signed junction with a trail that descends to the canyon floor. (If you want to extend this hike, continue straight on East Ridge, then take Pool Ridge back to the Discovery Trail. This option has a lot more climbing.) Turn left (toward the ranger station) and begin a descent.
     Switchbacks keep the drop through California bay and redwood manageable. You may hear (or see) water rushing downhill, on the way to meet Fife Creek in the canyon. The path has been rerouted for habitat restoration, so be sure to stay on the trail. At 1.6 miles, the trail crosses a bridge and ends at a parking lot. Walk south (to the left) on the road, pass some picnic areas and the road leading to Austin Creek, and just before the road crosses the creek, look for the signed start of the Pioneer Trail on the right side of the road.
     This hiking-only trail definitely brings to mind Muir Woods, with a flat path through tall redwoods, and a hushed, almost reverent atmosphere. When I hiked here in July, the trial surface seemed to have been supplemented with a thick layer of redwood duff, making it by a long shot the softest path I have ever trod. At 2 miles, Pioneer continues straight while Discovery Trail begins to the right at a signed junction. Turn right onto Discovery Trail, which has interpretive stations dispersed among the redwoods. You first encounter "the icicle tree," a redwood somewhat deformed by unusual burls. Continue past a huge fallen redwood, then cross through a deeply shaded area and climb a few stairs. The path levels out again, and reaches a signed junction at 2.3 miles, under the Armstrong tree. The redwood, estimated to be more than 1,400 years old, is an awesome sight to visitors unfamiliar with Sequoia sempervirens. Follow the signs back to the ranger station (if you've walked to the far side of the Armstrong tree, retrace your steps a few feet to the junction), passing through a bounty of hazelnut shrubs. The trail crosses a paved road, and feeds back into the Pioneer Trail, which passes through another lovely redwood grove, and then crosses another paved road. Just before the Pioneer Trail ends near the entrance kiosk, be sure to check out a sliced cross section of redwood, with important dates in history marked among its rings. Reminds me of a scene from the movie Vertigo, when Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart examine a similar tree. Our lives really do account for a just few inches of growth to these amazing redwoods. At the end of the Pioneer Trail, walk past the kiosk and return to the parking lot.

Total distance: 3 miles
Last hiked: Friday, July 7, 2000


Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page

	Web www.bahiker.com