Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

established to preserve of coast redwoods (''Sequoia sempervirens''). The reserve is located in

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...

, just north of Guerneville. The reserve is in a

temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American ...

. The climate is mild and wet. The park receives an average of of rainfall per year, almost all between September and June. Abundant

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...

during the summer months helps to maintain the moist conditions required by the coast redwoods.

Notable trees

Parson Jones at Armstrong Redwoods State Nature Reserve - Stierch

The Parson Jones Tree is the tallest tree in the grove, measuring more than in height. It is about a walk from the park entrance. The Colonel Armstrong Tree is the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1400 years old. It is named after a lumberman who chose to preserve this portion of the park in the 1870s. It is a walk from the park entrance. The Icicle Tree shows the unusual

burl A burl (American English) or burr (British English) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dor ...

formations often found on redwood trees. Burls can weigh many tons and grow hundreds of feet above the forest floor. Why these growths occur remains a mystery.

Recreation

The reserve includes a visitor center, outdoor amphitheater, self-guided nature trails, and a variety of

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

facilities. Although no camping is available in the redwood grove, there is a campground at

Austin Creek State Recreation Area Austin Creek State Recreation Area is a state park unit of California, United States, encompassing an isolated wilderness area. It is located in Sonoma County, California, adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, with which it sha ...

, which is adjacent to the park. Austin Creek is accessed through the same entrance as Armstrong Redwoods and its rolling hills, open

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ext ...

s, and oaks are a contrast to the dense canopy of the redwood grove. The Discovery Trail offers a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), ce ...

accessible pathway, interpretive panels in

Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displ ...

, and tree hugging platforms. The Armstrong Nature Trail is an easy stroll through the grove and is also wheelchair accessible. Guides are available at the visitor center. The East Ridge Trail and the Pool Ridge Trail are open to equestrians, although there are seasonal closures due to poor trail conditions in some winter months. Horse rentals are available through a private company that is adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods.

Park history

During the 1870s the area was set aside as a natural park and

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

by Colonel James Armstrong. After his death, Armstrong's daughter and the Le Baron family mounted an energetic campaign involving public meetings, rallies, and car-caravans to direct public attention to the need to preserve this last remnant of the once mighty redwood forest. Their efforts were successful, and in 1917 the County of Sonoma passed an initiative to purchase the property for $80,000. The grove was operated by Sonoma County until 1934, when the state of California took over. In 1936 the grove was opened to the public as Armstrong Redwoods State Park. The grove's status was changed to a natural reserve in 1964 when a greater understanding of its ecological significance prompted a more protective management of the resource. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve was one of 48

California state parks The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...

proposed for closure in January 2008 by Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

as part of a deficit reduction program. By May 2008 a temporary reprieve was granted, but the park's future is still uncertain.

References

External links

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Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.
California Department of Parks & Recreation. {{Russian River California State Reserves Parks in Sonoma County, California Protected areas established in 1934 Braille trail sites 1934 establishments in California Old-growth forests