A Perfect Day at Sam McDonald County Park

Yesterday was warm and sunny. A perfect day for a mostly shady 5.5 mile hike through the redwoods of Sam McDonald County Park, near La Honda. My College of San Mateo class met behind the Pioneer Hotel in Woodside to carpool about 37 minutes to the park. There is a $6.00 parking fee at the county park.

We started at the main parking lot near Pescadero Road. From there we crossed the road and headed uphill on the Towne Fire Road Trail, with a short side trip on the Big Tree Trail to see a magnificent old-growth redwood with two reiterations that make me think it should be called the "stick-em-up tree". As the Towne Trail approaches the ridge the redwoods suddenly give way to grassland. Heading east on the Towne Trail we pass the Horse Camp and then took a side trail to the Sierra Club hikers hut, where we had lunch. Nearby are beautiful views into the forested Pescadero Creek watershed in Pescadero Creek County Park. To reserve the hikers hut contact the Loma Prieta chapter of the Sierra Club in Palo Alto.

After lunch we headed north, downhill, on the Heritage Grove Trail, which passes oak and maple woodlands and then redwoods. We took a side trip to see the old-growth redwoods along Alpine Creek in the Heritage Grove. After stopping to examine a banana slug on a redwood we headed back uphill to the main trail and then hiked west and back to the parking lot.

TO GET THERE... From Skyline Boulevard take La Honda Road west and turn right on Pescadero Road a short distance beyond the town of La Honda. Look for the Sam McDonald County Park sign on the right.