ARCATA, Calif. - Recreational trails at the Headwaters Forest Reserve are now open and conditions are ideal for hiking.
The Little South Fork Elk River Trail near Eureka provides opportunities for a variety of hikes, including a paved section with interpretive signs detailing the story of Falk, a historic lumber town. Experienced hikers can traverse the entire length of the trail, a10-mile round trip that includes a steep loop through a grove of ancient redwood trees.
The Headwaters Education Center, a restored locomotive barn along the Elk River Trail, begins its summer season Sunday, May 28, with an open house and guided hike from noon to 3 p.m. The center will be open Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. through Labor Day.
The education center is a half-mile walk from the trailhead parking area.
Near Fortuna, the Salmon Pass Trail will be open only for guided hikes through November 15. Hikers can reserve space by telephoning the BLM Arcata Field Office at (707) 825-2300, or by visiting the “Discover the Redwoods" (www.discovertheredwoods.com) Internet site and clicking on the “Hike Headwaters" link.
The Headwaters Forest Reserve is 7,400 acres of redwood and Douglas-fir forest set aside to conserve habitat for threatened fish and wildlife species including coho salmon, northern spotted owls and the marbled murrelet, a seabird that nests in redwood trees. The reserve is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
More information is available by telephoning the Arcata Field Office at (707) 825-2300 or by visiting https://www.blm.gov/nlcs_web/sites/ca/st/en/prog/nlcs/Headwaters_ForestReserve.html.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
