Fall Creek at Henry Cowell Redwoods
Fall Creek, the northern unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State park, is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of the town of Felton. The park has 2,390 acres--nearly the entire watershed of Fall Creek--and about 20 miles of hiking trails. Most of these trails follow old wagon and logging roads that once led to busy industrial sites.
The Fall Creek property was a 1972 gift from the estate of Henry Cowell, whose wealth came in part from his lime business. The Cowell Foundation gift-deeded numerous parcels of land, including much of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Henry Cowell Redwoods State park.
The Fall Creek area is known for its limestone deposits. In 1854, the first limestone ledge was discovered at Ben Lomond Mountain, which led to an industry that was to thrive throughout the region for the next eight decades.
During this time, virtually all of the virgin redwood forest on the Fall Creek property was stripped off the steep hillsides to fire the lime kiln located on the South Fork of Fall Creek. But unlike most of the other mountains in the range, which are made of sandstone-shale formation, Ben Lomond Mountain is comprised of granite. As a result, its watershed was resistant to erosion and the present-day Fall Creek runs clear throughout the year.
Today, all that remains of this once prosperous enterprise is the ghost-town like ruins of buildings and the surprisingly well-preserved kilns. Much of the firebrick and metal hardware of the kilns is gone, and an 18-inch diameter Douglas fir is now growing up through the floors and out the top. The granite block outer walls are still standing in their original location. Other structures, such as the cookhouse, cooper's shop, bunkhouses and the barrel mill on the north fork have long since succumbed to constant attack by wind, rain and inquisitive visitors. Nevertheless, the sites are still plainly marked.
The park has 12 different trails that range from 3.6 miles to .2 mile. For a a map of the trails, please call or write: Mountain Parks Foundation, 525 N. Big Trees Park road, Felton, CA 95018. Phone: 831-335-3174.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.
School Group Program
We are offering docent-led tours through our beautiful redwood grove to school groups. Our progams are based on California State Curriculum guidelines. Teachers, please call (831) 335-7077 to schedule your tour.
