Hugging Colonel Armstrong Tree in Guerneville, California
Armstrong Woods State Park is the big draw for hiking near Guerneville (also known as Stumptown, due to the pervasive logging in the area during the 19th century). It's a bit crowded at the base, mainly because you don't even have to get out of the car to see the giant redwood grove, including the 1,400 year-old Colonel Armstrong Tree, which lies just a stone's throw from the park entrance. To lose the crowds, serious hikers can keep going on long loops (up to 10 miles) into the backcountry, winding up and out of the ancient redwoods into mixed forests and coastward views.
In the tiny town of Guerneville, where the riverfront homes stand on stilts above the winter flooding of the Russian River, you will meet the silent, serene, and ancient Giants of the West. Walk your fingers back through their history and ours as you trace the rings of a massive fallen redwood, and read the plaques that note the centuries and which of our explorers was discovering what. Step onto the empty stone stage at the Outdoor Theater and whisper to your companions seated at the far end of the forest-encircled arena . . . then listen as they whisper back. Make it a no-cost trip by parking in the Visitor Center’s free lot, and trekking into the trees on foot – then chase the kids through the sunless trunk of a standing redwood and out the other side.
Armstrong Woods State Park is the big draw for hiking near Guerneville (also known as Stumptown, due to the pervasive logging in the area during the 19th century). It's a bit crowded at the base, mainly because you don't even have to get out of the car to see the giant redwood grove, including the 1,400 year-old Colonel Armstrong Tree, which lies just a stone's throw from the park entrance. To lose the crowds, serious hikers can keep going on long loops (up to 10 miles) into the backcountry, winding up and out of the ancient redwoods into mixed forests and coastward views.
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