Start out on Central Trail, located near the ranger station. However, the lesser known portion of the park is the Pygmy Forest.

We camped there for a week for my son’s first birthday, and it will forever live in my mind as a special place… I posted a link to this fantastic article on Outdoor activities with a healthy dose of curiosity, brought to you by Laure LathamInspiration for outdoors ideas, family fun, travel destinations ...Inspiration for outdoors ideas, family fun, travel destinations ...

You just never know what the trail will offer.February 10, 2010 at 6:40 pm, Sono-Ma: Holly White-Wolfe said:We love Salt Point! It's a very quiet place in general, and the hikes are basically level, so not too strenuous. Inspiration for outdoors ideas, family fun, travel destinations...As we went up the trail – it rises steadily over 2 miles or so – we heard water trickling down the forest on all sides. I’m so used to coastal forests barely letting the sun go through.

You can hike on sort of trails through the knee high sea grass at salt point state park.

There was a majestic coastal redwood feel all around, with very little underbrush and a slightly green light accented by the mossy trunks. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and bird watching.

Salt Point State Park, about 90 miles north of San Francisco, features rugged, windswept coastline and dramatic forests of cypress, pine and redwoods.

One of us had rubber boots, the others not. The trees are mature - in some … The stunted growth is caused by the inhospitable combination of highly-acidic, nutrient-free soil and a below-surface hardpan layer that prevents drainage. Turn left again at the Water Tank Trail; it's short, less than a quarter mile, at which time you rejoin the Central Trail by turning right.

With 20 miles of hiking trails, over six miles of rugged coastline, and an underwater park, you can enjoy a variety of picnicking, hiking, … Pygmy as in large slabs of graywacke sandstone 18 inches below the ground and hardly any room for a root system to … Length 6.9 … Divers might want … Beyond the pygmy forest, we entered a full-grown forest with normal size coast redwoods and more mushrooms. We followed Warren Creek to our left and passed the trail that goes to the water tanks. Of course on the way, more mushrooms crossed our path.

Laure is an author, environmental advocate, blogger, open water swimmer and now mother. Eventually you'll get down by the coast, and see some cool cliffs, rock formations, sea life, etc.

You'll pass madrone, Douglas fir, tan oaks, and eucalyptus as you ascend steadily upward. Done.Bordered by tall pines, its center was covered in yellow grasses that sway gently in the breeze.

Instead they keep them from setting deep roots and force them to sit throughout the  rainy season in a liquid stew composed of their own tannins and acids. However right in the middle of the trail – or should I say, over the trail – was a pool-size puddle blocked by a fallen tree. https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453 This walk highlights the self-guided interpretive efforts of Salt Point State Park, with trailside informational signage focusing on local vegetation identification. Soon enough we saw the trail we had missed on the way in (it’s a pretty sharp curve coming the other way) across from the sign that says “Prairie” and veered right on North Trail, the top of our ascent. Pygmy as in dwarf coastal redwoods, pines and miniature cypress trees.

I was fascinated by the idea that there could be a prairie amidst this dense forest. The vegetation changed abruptly and before we knew it, we were in mushroom country. Access trail at the Woodside Campgrounds entrance on HWY 1. Sure there were creeks indicated on the map, but these gurgling brooks were the result of the storms.

Makes a girl think. Rocky promontories, panoramic views, kelp-dotted coves, and the dramatic sounds of pounding surf; open grasslands, forested hills, pristine prairies, and pygmy forests- you can experience all of these coastal wonders within the Salt Point State Park. If you're a kayaker or surfer you might find more to do here. Pygmy as in too much salt and iron in the ground and not enough nutrients for the trees to grow full size. From now on, it was only going to go down.