Our Mission The mission of State Parks is Portola to provide for the health, inspiration and hidden escape from education of the people of California by helping A Redwoods to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological the city, Portola Redwoods diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities State Park provides visitors State Park for high-quality outdoor recreation. with their own secret place in a natural basin of evergreen forest. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (650) 948-9098. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact [email protected].

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service

www.parks.ca.gov

SaveTheRedwoods.org/csp Portola Redwoods State Park 9000 Portola State Park Road La Honda, CA 94020 (650) 948-9098

© 2011 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) A t Portola Redwoods State Park, silence Here, the Quiroste fished for steelhead and tranquility rule. The road leading trout and coho salmon, and they collected to the 2,800-acre park follows a ridgetop naturally forming asphaltum (tar) from Tar that drops down into a deeply shaded Creek to use as an adhesive and sealant. redwood forest. Portola Redwoods offers a Shaped Olivella shell beads from the hushed getaway from the suburban bustle coast were used to barter and trade with of nearby Silicon Valley and the South Bay. inland tribes. Trading involved travel along Several trails follow meandering creeks established routes; one route passed where moisture-loving coast redwoods through this park. Abalone, mussels, fish,

stand tall among thick ferns and redwood and other seafoods — plus flints used Photo courtesy of The Bancroft Library sorrel. Waterfalls on Fall and Pescadero to chip stone tools like knives, spears, creeks tumble down mossy banks and over and arrowheads — were among the many sticks and rocks. coastal resources that they traded. In Gaspar de Portolá expedition return, inland materials like obsidian for “Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco” PARK HISTORY stone tool making, foods, and bows from Painting by Walter G. Francis, 1909 Native People distant lands were brought to the Quiroste Native people have lived in the vicinity of over mountain trails. followed, led to Spanish settlement of the San Portola Redwoods State Park for thousands European Contact Francisco and Monterey Bay areas. of years. The and San This area’s first settler, Danish immigrant Portola Redwoods State Park is named for Francisco peninsula were home to a mosaic Christian Iverson, built a cabin along Pescadero the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá. of tribes. The Quiroste Tribe (pronounced Creek in the 1860s. In 1889, Iverson sold his In 1769, the Portolá expedition traveled Ki-raw’-stee) was the largest tribe; their property to lumberman William Page. Page overland along the San Mateo coast to territory ranged from what is now Año ran a shingle mill just east of the present day the San Francisco Bay, but never reaching Nuevo to Pescadero and up towards Slate Creek trail camp. He also established it. This journey, along with others that Skyline Ridge, including Portola Redwoods a haul road connecting several mills to the State Park. Embarcadero in Palo Alto. This haul road, later named Page Mill Road, still exists. In 1924, the Masonic Lodge’s Islam Shrine acquired the property for a summer retreat, building cabins, kitchens, a stage, and a recreation hall— today’s visitor center. Because membership had dropped by 1945, the lodge sold the property to the State to create a new state park. The park has since doubled in size, due to the efforts of such donor organizations as Save the Redwoods League. NATURAL HISTORY Camping — More than 50 family sites, one accessible Huckleberries dominate the redwood understory; site, and four walk-in family sites may be reserved their thick, bushy branches provide shelter and from late spring through mid-autumn. No campsites nesting habitat for forest birds, which eat the berries have hookups. and spread the seeds throughout the forest. Ferns, For site-specific camping information and elk clover, and horsetail plants grow along the reservations, visit www.parks.ca.gov or creeksides. In summer, look for bright blooms of call (800) 444-7275. leopard lilies. During winter rains, dormant lily bulbs Trail Camps — Six sites at Slate Creek Trail Camp are wash downstream, where they start new colonies. On available from late spring through mid-autumn. Trail dry, south-facing hillsides and high ridges, redwoods camps are limited to six people per site. Fires are give way to live oak, manzanita, and chamise. not permitted, but backpacking stoves are allowed. The dominant forest tree in Portola is the redwood, Bring your own drinking water or a stream water filter. but tan oak, madrone, California bay, big leaf maple, For trail camp reservations, call Big Basin Redwoods live oak, and Douglas-fir grow among the park’s other State Park at (831) 338-8861. tree species. Four first-come, first-served hike-and-bike sites Protected coho salmon and steelhead trout live are located at the Huckleberry Campground. in Pescadero Creek. Old-growth trees provide Hiking — Eighteen miles of hiking trails range from important habitat for the marbled murrelet, an easy to strenuous. The easy ¾-mile Sequoia Nature endangered seabird that nests high in the redwoods. Trail begins near park headquarters and crosses Black-tailed deer, raccoons, gray squirrels, coyotes, Pescadero Creek. The half-mile Old Tree Trail is also and mountain lions call this area their home. considered an easy hike. The moderate three-mile Climate change affects all living things within the Slate Creek Trail winds through redwoods to the redwood forest. The trees’ size and longevity help Page Mill site. For a strenuous 13-mile round-trip them store — or sequester — more climate-altering journey, Bear Creek Trail leads to Peters Creek Trail carbon dioxide than other plants, which helps reduce and its magnificent 1.3-mile loop through ancient the effects of a changing climate. old-growth redwoods. Picnicking — Picnic areas are near the visitor center. RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES To reserve the 75-person Group Picnic Area for your Come prepared for any type of weather. The park wedding or special event, call (831) 335-3455. gets 40 to 60 inches of rain per year, and the summer months can be foggy and cool. ACCESSIBLE FEATURES Visitor Center — The accessible visitor center One reservable campsite, the visitor center and features interpretive and educational displays restrooms, and one picnic site are accessible. with a diorama and a sales area. Currently, no trails are wheelchair-accessible at Group Camping — Portola Redwoods State Park Portola Redwoods State Park. Accessibility is has four group campgrounds. Ravine Group continually improving. For updates, call Camp holds 25 people, and the Hillside, Point, (916) 445-8949 or visit http://access.parks.ca.gov. and Circle Group Camps each hold 50 people. Banana slug Yellowjackets — Attracted to meat and sugar, these wasps live in cavities or underground. KEEP THE PARK They can deliver repeated, painful stings. CRUMB-CLEAN! Poison Oak — Leaves in groups of three may Jays, ravens, and be green, red, shiny, dull, or even completely crows are attracted to absent in winter. Even leafless stems can areas where campers cause a serious reaction. Stay on trails to and picnickers leave avoid contact with poison oak. Photo courtesy of Rich MacIntosh food behind. These Visitor center birds also eat the Stinging Nettles — Growing in damp areas Marbled murrelet PLEASE REMEMBER eggs and chicks of such as stream banks, stinging nettles have an endangered seabird that nests in these trees. Use extreme care during the last few miles large, spear-shaped leaves with stems up to The marbled murrelet nests in coastal old-growth of the drive to the park; the road downhill is six feet tall. This plant is covered with tiny, redwood and Douglas-fir forests and lays just narrow and steep. stinging hairs that can inflict a painful reaction one egg per year. To make this a safer place for Pets — Pets are permitted only in campsites and if even lightly touched. murrelets nesting in this park, all visitors are picnic areas, and on paved roads and the Upper Caution — All natural and cultural features are asked to follow the park’s crumb-clean credo: leave no food out, not even a crumb. A murrelet and Lower Escape Roads. protected by law and must not be disturbed Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six chick’s first flight takes it on a solo journey directly or removed. to the ocean. You can help a baby murrelet make feet and attended at all times. They must be it to the sea by keeping the park, campsites, and confined with their guardian inside a tent or NEARBY STATE PARKS trails crumb-clean. vehicle at night. • Castle Rock State Park Except for service animals, dogs are not 15000 Skyline Blvd. LEOPARd LILY allowed on hiking trails or in the visitor center. Los Gatos 95030 (408) 867-2952 Showy leopard Bicycles — Hiking trails are closed to bikes • lilies bloom from and horses. Old Haul service road — for hikers, 1500 Cloverdale Road May to July along equestrians and cyclists — winds through Pescadero 94060 (650) 879-2040 streams and trails redwoods, out of the park to Memorial • Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the park. This County Park. 21600 Big Basin Way flower Lilium( pardinalinum), Firewood — Firewood may be purchased at Boulder Creek 95006 (831) 338-8860 is named for Leopard lilies the park office. Please do not gather wood; the the leopard-like health of the forest depends on the nutrients spots on its petals. They grow in clusters of stout provided by fallen wood. stems 3 to 6 feet high with pale- to deep-green, Quiet Hours — Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to narrow leaves in whorls. Each stem bears one to 8 a.m. Do not operate generators between many flowers that blaze from yellow or orange to 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. Sounds should not be flame red. Hungry hummingbirds and butterflies pollinate the lilies as they sip the nourishing audible beyond your campsite at any time. nectar. The seed pods are held upright like a salt Fishing — No fishing is allowed in the park. shaker and contain hundreds of seeds, but very Ticks — Ticks are common in this area; some few of these ever make it to the ground before the may be infected with Lyme disease. Tuck in flowers are eaten by deer. cuffs while hiking, and check for bites. Sequoia Nature Trail 128 0' 1120 2440'

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