Parks, Reserves and Wilderness
Headwaters Forest Reserve
On March 1, 1999 the Headwaters Forest and surrounding lands, totaling 7,400 acres in central Humboldt County, California, were acquired from private owners by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the State of California. These newly acquired public lands called the Headwaters Forest Reserve, are co-managed by the BLM and the State of California to protect the stands of old-growth redwoods that provide habitat for the threatened seabird, the marbled murrelet, and the headwaters that serve as a habitat for the threatened coho salmon and other fisheries. Click for details.
See also:
Humboldt Bay Initiative
Humboldt Bay is one of the most pristine and biologically important estuaries on the West Coast, hosting an incredibly diverse array of species, including 141 invertebrate species, 110 fish species, 251 bird species, and 30 mammal species. The Bay is a critical link for migrating and wintering water birds in the chain of coastal wetlands from the Arctic Circle to South America, and it annually supports millions of waterbirds, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. It also supplies a large portion of the oysters harvested in California, with 2/3 of those harvested for human consumption originating in Humboldt Bay. Click for details.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is California's largest redwood state park. Click for details.
King Range National Conservation Area
A spectacular meeting of land and sea is certainly the dominant feature of the King Range National Conservation Area. Mountains seem to thrust straight out of the surf; a precipitous rise unsurpassed on the continental U.S. coastline. King Peak, the highest point at 4,087 feet, is only three miles from the ocean.
The King Range covers 60,000 acres and extends along 35 miles of coastline between the mouth of the Mattole River and Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. Here the landscape was too rugged for highway building, forcing State Highway 1 and U.S. 101 inland. The remote region is known as California's Lost Coast, and is only accessed by a few back roads. The recreation opportunities here are as diverse as the landscape. The Douglas-fir clad peaks attract hikers, hunters, campers and mushroom collectors, while the coast beckons to surfers, anglers, beachcombers, and abalone divers to name a few. Click for details.
Marine Protected Areas
Redwood National Park,
Pacific Whiting Klamath River Salmon Conservation Zone,
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Click for details.
Redwood National and State Parks
Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. Cultural landscapes reflect American Indian history. The more recent logging history has led to much restoration of these parks. Click for details.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
The Sinkyone Wilderness State Park was established or purchased by the State of California in the mid '70's after a ballot measure authorized the purchase. Access to the 7300 acre Sinkyone State Wild Life Park can be by foot from various locations along the north coast or one could drive into the park from the north or south but the real adventure of the park is to hike from one end to the other along the bluffs and trails that will bring one by the several camping sites along the way. Click for details.
