The Great California Outdoors: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park--Part 1: Main Unit + Roaring Camp

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park/ Roaring Camp****
Steam trains running by towering redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Top Locations:
1. Roaring Camp Railroad
2. Redwood Grove
3. Swimming holes
4. Backcountry

Time for Visiting: 1-4 hrs
Cost: $10
Best Season: Spring, Summer
Bring: Camera, hiking boots, water
Difficulty:  Moderate - : Flat trails for Roaring Camp and Redwood Grove,  steep hilly climbs for backcountry

Introduction
Along with Big Basin, Henry Cowell is one of the largest strands of old-growth redwoods left in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is less known than its famous brother park, but is also quite popular, especially with the students from Santa Cruz.

In 1867 Joseph Welch purchased this redwood grove near Felton for his Big Trees resort. As news of California's "big trees" spread throughout the world, thousands of visitors arrived to visit, including Presidents Benjamin Harrison and Theodore Roosevelt. In the 1930s, the grove became a county park. In 1954, Samuel Cowell donated some land nearby to the state, in memory of his father, Henry Cowell. After some debate, the new property was fused with the Big Trees Resort, while the railroad section was spun off as Roaring Camp.

Began in 1963 by F. Norman Clark, the Roaring Camp Railway is the oldest and one of the few narrow gauge railroads still active in the country. Three of the historic trains have been designated National Mechanical Engineering Historical Landmarks. The park is set like an 1880s mining town, and the train runs through giant redwoods at neighboring Big Trees Ranch, purchased by Joseph Welch in 1867 to protect the redwoods from logging, the first property acquired by the State of California for protection.

To visit Henry Cowell Redwoods from San Jose, take HWY17 South towards Santa Cruz. Exit at Mt Hermon Rd West until you reach Graham Hill Rd.  Almost immediately take a left onto HWY9 South in Felton. Follow HWY9 about 1km until the path goes off to the left at N Big Trees Park Rd at a big sign designated Henry Cowell Redwoods. Pay the $10 parking fee and continue to the Visitor's Center parking lot (You can save the $10 by parking in Felton and walking about 1km over like many locals do). At the parking lot, the Redwoods are to the South, while Roaring Camp is across a small treeline and rail line to the East.  

A. Roaring Camp ****

The Roaring Camp Covered Bridge claims to be the shortest covered bridge in the United States.
 

Restored buildings at Roaring Camp are used as conference rooms, restaurants, and shops. Train rides through the Redwood forest cost $26 for adults and $19 for children (2-12) and take 1.25 hrs.

The star of Roaring Camp are the locomotives, some 13-odd rotate depending on the date. Three are designated National Mechanical Engineering Historical Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Dixiana Shay #1, the Bloomsburg Climax #5, and the Tuolumne Heisler #2. 

The Shay Locomotives were the most popular geared steam locomotives. Developed by Ephriam Shay, it innovative design including a flatcar body, pivoting trucks (the driving wheel units), and a belt drive, as well as a left-offset boiler for motors on the right to power the drive shafts. All of this allowed the trains to work their way up narrow gauge railroads and tight turns common in the mountain regions. Of some 3500 Shays produced between 1878 and 1945, only 117 remain. 

The 1912 Dixiana Shay No. 1 was the first train acquired by Roaring Camp. It served the Alaculsy Lumber Company on the Smokey Mountain Railroad. Clark found the abandoned locomotive at a coal mine in 1958, brought it to California, and restored it.

 



Built in 1911, the Sonora is a geared Shay steam locomotive, which allowed it to work on narrow gauge mountain railroads. The Sonora was built by the Lima Locomotive Corp, and worked on the West Side Lumber Company Butte and Plumas Railway No 4 until 1962. It was acquired by Roaring Camp in 1986 and restored in 2009.

Behind the

B. Henry Cowell Redwoods*** 
Henry Cowell Redwoods is another park protecting the California Coastal Redwoods, the tallest living things on earth. Like its better known cousin parks, Muir Woods National Monument and Big Basin State Park, Henry Cowell is quite popular with visitors.  Unlike those parks however, Henry Cowell is easier to reach, being only a short distance from busy HWY 17, and is not as crowded as those other two locations.

The Redwood Grove is a flat trail that loops around 1.3km with hundreds of redwoods. It is a nice,  impressive grove.  While none of the trees here are record-holders, there are some impressive specimens here.

Around 86m tall, the Fremont Tree is the most famous of the redwoods in Henry Cowell. According to legend in 1846 Lt John Fremont, on his third expedition surveying California (and nearly provoking a war), camped in the burnt-out hollow of this tree, which is large enough to house two people. When he visited in 1888 for the dedication of this tree in his honor and heard the legend, his reply was "It makes a great story, let it stand."   The large hole is still there, and kids love running inside.  Bring a flashlight, or borrow one from the Visitor's Center.

 Named in honor of Gov William Jeter, who protected this grove when he was governor. 

Yet another redwood tree ring.

The Henry Cowell Redwood backcountry leads from Pipeline Road or River Trail, which are roughly parallel to each other. The area is heavily wooded, though there are few redwood trees.  The paths begin paved and fairly flat, but quickly become dirt roads, steeply clinging to the hillsides.  

Baby Blue Eyes along the trail

(Illegally) following the railroad tracks leads to a few swimming holes along HWY9 popular with locals during hot summer days: Cable Car Beach, Garden of Eden, and Frisbee Beach. 

Cable Car Beach

To get to Henry Cowell Redwoods from San Jose, take HWY 280N to HWY880S. Follow it as it turns to HWY 17. About 42km away, take the Mt. Hermon Exit in Scott's Valley and follow it to Felton.  After 5.6km, take a right at Graham Hill Road, then immediately go to the left lane to take a left turn at HWY9.  Follow HWY9 to the Henry Cowell Redwoods about a kilometer away.  If you continue South on HWY9, there are periodic parking lots for the swimming holes on the left.