Hike – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Hike (Observation Deck Loop)

Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/19/23
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Location
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Categories

Monthly Events

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Hike (Observation Deck Loop)Hike

As part of our new COVID-19 protocols, walkers must sign up on our NEW myHPREC website in advance and supply their emergency contact information electronically. This is necessary to avoid close contact on the day of the walk and to make sure the maximum of number of walkers for each session is 30 (including the walk leader).

Meet at one of two places:

At (car pool location) the Northside Parking Lot located on Highway 9 midway between University Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos at 9:20 am. The sign at the lot says “Free Unlimited Parking – Northside Lot.” Take Highway 17 south toward Los Gatos. Exit at Highway 9-Los Gatos/Saratoga and continue west on Highway 9 (approx. 0.3 mile) to the parking lot, located on your right just before Santa Cruz Avenue.

Or…

At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. If you drive there directly, take CA-17 south from San Jose toward Santa Cruz. Exit CA-17 at Mt. Herman Rd. in Scotts Valley. Follow Mt. Herman until it ends at Graham Hill Road. Turn right onto Graham Hill, and then left onto CA-9. The park entrance is about 2 miles down on the leftft.

Parking is $9 per car for seniors. You may park free on CA-9 (secure your belongings), but it’s a half mile walk to the visitor center. Leave your picnic lunch in a cooler in the car, but take water and snacks for the hike. 101 Big Trees Park Rd., Felton, CA. Open daily sunrise to sunset.

The hike begins at Henry Cowell visitor center at 10 am.

[Counter-clockwise Observation Deck loop] The Redwood Grove trail will take us through rare old-growth forest to the banks of the San Lorenzo River. We will hike out of the canyon on Pipeline to the Overlook Bench for an amazing view of Monterey Bay.

Pipeline intersects the Pine Trail, taking us to the Santa Cruz Sandhills, a remarkable ecology-geology anomaly. We will climb a flight of stairs for a picnic lunch atop the Observation Deck, with a spectacular 360-degree view of the Santa Cruz Mountains (and acorn woodpeckers).

We will rejoin the Pine Trail, transitioning from oak/madrone (watch for poison oak) to redwoods on Eagle Creek where we will descend (steeply in places) to again meet Pipeline. We will return on River Trail to finish the Redwood Grove loop.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/observation-deck-longer-loop

If you want to cancel your reservation/sign up:
Call or send an email message to the event leader and inform the leader of your cancellation. (grpowers@gmail.com or call Gary Powers at 1-801-619-0544)