If the name Headwaters Forest Preserve does not ring a bell, you might recall Julia Butterfly Hill, who spent 738 days between 12/10/1997 and 12/18/1999 in the tree affectionately known as "Luna," to prevent Pacific Lumber Company loggers from cutting it down. Pacific Lumber had been bought by Maxxam Corp., and they were clear cutting everything in sight to pay off the bonds they sold to buy this forest. Pacific Lumber, which had been doing sustainable logging for generations, suddenly became an environmental villain due to the hostile takeover.
Senator Dianne Feinstein helped put together $380 million in state and federal money to purchase Headwaters, a pristine old growth redwood forest, within the Pacific Lumber lands, east of Eureka. …show more content…
I have a vivid memory of, after a long hike on an old logging road, reaching Headwaters forest. On my left the vast hillside was clear cut, a few saplings and much flowering brush. On my right was a magnificent forest, thick and dark, never touched by the hand of man. I walked over centuries of accumulated fallen branches and found a meditative spot in a tree hollowed out by lightning. There I listened to the sound of condensed dew dripping from branches hundreds of feet above me. Interestingly, old growth is not just giant trees, but trees of all ages and sizes. As old ones fall, the canopy opens enough for saplings to flourish, making it a rich and varied …show more content…
According to the BLM ranger who was about the lead a group of school children, this eleven mile round trip trail climbs 1,400 feet, most of it in the last two and a half miles. The first three miles is open to bikes, which shortens the trip from over six hours to about four. The sign at the trail head says the first three miles are fairly level and the rest moderately strenuous. However, there are some places on the first section that can intimidate all but the most avid biker. The rest is very steep and includes 235 wooden steps in groups of four to fifteen, scattered along the trail. I found it as exhausting as it was beautiful.
The first mile is paved and is used extensively for people out for a pleasant walk.
There is an educational center about a quarter mile in, open in the summer. Also, there is a sign explaining about the town of Falk which was an active mill site in the early 20th century, along with several interpretive signs about the river and the various species in the area. There is a public restroom at the parking lot.
For the first three miles the south fork of the Elk River is to the right and is a salmon spawning waterway. After the pavement ends, there is a narrow, steep area with steps and some ups and downs, but most of the trail is fairly wide and bike friendly. At the second bridge there is a sign saying no dogs or bikes beyond this point. Then
Senator Dianne Feinstein helped put together $380 million in state and federal money to purchase Headwaters, a pristine old growth redwood forest, within the Pacific Lumber lands, east of Eureka. …show more content…
I have a vivid memory of, after a long hike on an old logging road, reaching Headwaters forest. On my left the vast hillside was clear cut, a few saplings and much flowering brush. On my right was a magnificent forest, thick and dark, never touched by the hand of man. I walked over centuries of accumulated fallen branches and found a meditative spot in a tree hollowed out by lightning. There I listened to the sound of condensed dew dripping from branches hundreds of feet above me. Interestingly, old growth is not just giant trees, but trees of all ages and sizes. As old ones fall, the canopy opens enough for saplings to flourish, making it a rich and varied …show more content…
According to the BLM ranger who was about the lead a group of school children, this eleven mile round trip trail climbs 1,400 feet, most of it in the last two and a half miles. The first three miles is open to bikes, which shortens the trip from over six hours to about four. The sign at the trail head says the first three miles are fairly level and the rest moderately strenuous. However, there are some places on the first section that can intimidate all but the most avid biker. The rest is very steep and includes 235 wooden steps in groups of four to fifteen, scattered along the trail. I found it as exhausting as it was beautiful.
The first mile is paved and is used extensively for people out for a pleasant walk.
There is an educational center about a quarter mile in, open in the summer. Also, there is a sign explaining about the town of Falk which was an active mill site in the early 20th century, along with several interpretive signs about the river and the various species in the area. There is a public restroom at the parking lot.
For the first three miles the south fork of the Elk River is to the right and is a salmon spawning waterway. After the pavement ends, there is a narrow, steep area with steps and some ups and downs, but most of the trail is fairly wide and bike friendly. At the second bridge there is a sign saying no dogs or bikes beyond this point. Then