The Redwood Grove of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, which is located in Santa Cruz County in Northern California, is a grove of Coast Redwoods with trees extending into the 1400- to 1800-year-old range. This grove allows for the use of self-guided tours of the flat, 0.8 mi loop trail which is easily accessible (within 150 ft of a vehicle parking lot). Dozens of large, Redwood trees are located within a few feet of the walking trail.

Natural history

Coast Redwoods, (Sequoia sempervirens), are a native tree in the deep valleys and low to middle elevations (up to 750 m) of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their growth and longevity is enhanced by the proximity to the ocean, the cool air which encourages fog, and the dimmer sunlight near the moisture-rich trunk-base region. Free-flowing, year-round streams help to enhance this environment and the cool, moisture-laden air often produces visible fog, which helps to replenish the trees. The bark of these giants is heavily laden with tannin, which helps to offer protection from damage both from wildfires and insects. This grove has some of the tallest and oldest trees in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Undergrowth is never cleared, there is no logging allowed and deadfalls and lightning-struck trees are allowed to proceed naturally with their processes, unless they impair access to the grove. This rich, biotic environment is filled with natural nutrients. Old growth groves such as this will show the birth (shoots and burls) and death (rotting trees and "fairy rings") of ancient redwoods, many of whose birth was before the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Early history

This part of the California Coastline is the ancestral lands of the Awaswas (Santa Cruz) division of Ohlone Indian people. In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà camped on the banks of the San Lorenzo River as part of his exploration for Spain. Twenty years after the Friars Minor came to the area, the, Mission Santa Cruz was consecrated nearby in 1791. After the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, the newly independent Mexico assumed control of this area until the transfer to the United States in 1846. During Mexican ownership, it was common for land grants to be sold to those who were in favor with the government. Large portions of this virgin-forested area were given out as Rancho Carbonera, Rancho Zayante and Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo. These "gifted" land grants were the start of European settlement in the area. In 1843, the Mexican Government granted a parcel of 8800 acre under the name of Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo de Santa Cruz to a French immigrant named Pedro Sansevain which essentially encompasses the lands of the state park. After a few transfers of land over about twenty years, the granted Rancho Cañada del Rincon ended up in the hands of Henry Cowell.

Trail Details

Hazards

Poison oak is a native ground-cover in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The plants are most obvious during the part of the year when the leaves change color toward the red spectrum.

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