Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 29
HARE CREEK TRAIL
LENGTH AND TYPE: 0.6-mile out-and-back
RATING: Easy
TRAIL CONDITION: Well maintained, poison oak, good for kids
HIGHLIGHTS: A fertile coastal river canyon lined with majestic old-growth redwoods
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
Day-use parking is immediately past the kiosk, adjacent
to the restrooms. Park your vehicle and stroll past the north end of the campground
(sites 23-34), where all three of the park's trails begin.
TRIP SUMMARY:
This hike begins amid a narrow band of redwoods along Hare Creek.
Though you'll find a few mature old-growth trees, most of the redwoods are relative
toddlers. These stands are rebounding from heavy logging in the late 1800s, when
Rockland Lime & Lumber harvested dozens of ancient trees to fuel nearby kilns used
to purify commercial limestone. Today, the trail leads past quiet, undisturbed groves.
Trip Description
From the trailhead, you'll cross the large wooden footbridge over
Hare Creek.
Thirty
feet beyond the bridge, the trail reaches the
Hare Creek Trail junction.
Turn right
and head east along the north bank. The trail skirts the clear creek, sheltered by sheer
canyon walls and a dense redwood canopy. Shrouded in darkness, your surroundings
suggest a vast forest, but this narrow band of trees is restricted to the canyon floor.
The trail soon emerges on open slopes that support oaks, shrubs, and grasses, then
ascends
rock steps
(0.2 mile, 160') past lush ferns, redwood sorrel, blackberries and
thimbleberries. Steep cliff faces across the canyon are draped with a vibrant green
tapestry of mosses and ferns. Head back when you reach the
END OF TRAIL
sign be-
side a large downed
redwood
(0.3 mile, 200'). Avoid hiking off-trail, as poison oak is
abundant and the canyon walls are steep and unstable.
STEELHEAD MIGRATION
Serving as a vital habitat for southern steelhead trout, the entire Limekiln and Hare
watershed is free flowing (i.e., no dams). Slowly approach small trailside pools and
you may spot an immature steelhead darting amid shadows along the creek bottom.
Part of the family
Salmonidae,
which includes all salmon and trout, steelhead are
the anadromous form of rainbow trout, which means the fish are born in freshwater
