Mill Creek Redwood Preserve
Mill Creek Redwood Preserve | |
---|---|
Carmel, California | |
Coordinates | 36°22′07″N 121°50′18.9″W / 36.36861°N 121.838583°W |
Area | 1,534 acres (6.21 km2) |
Established | 2000 |
Governing body | Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District |
Website | Mill Creek Redwood Preserve |
The 1,534 acres (621 ha) Mill Creek Redwood Preserve is located in
History
The land to the south of Palo Colorado Canyon was formerly owned by Charles Henry Bixby, namesake of the
The mill was closed in 1935 after the marketable timber was cut. Logging was renewed in 1946 when Charles Vander Ploeg built a mill in Beartrap Canyon. This mill was short-lived when a human-caused fire in 1949 destroyed the mill and killed two loggers. Evidence suggests that the redwood logging at that time was for fence posts. Logging once again found its way into the preserve for a few years in the early ‘60's. This time the trees were cut in the Turner Creek drainage. This area is in the very upper reach of the canyon and the logging was sporadic and selective. By 1986 the
Trails
The district joined the seized land with three adjacent properties to form the Mill Creek Redwood Preserve.[1] The park district trail boss Chris Reed worked with AmeriCorps volunteers and prison crews to build a 2.75 miles (4.43 km) trail from Palo Colorado Road to an overlook, which was completed over eight years. The trail was opened on June 30, 2006. An 9 miles (14 km) loop trail is also planned.[2]
Limited access
Responding to concerns of canyon residents about traffic on narrow Palo Colorado Road, the county agreed to limit access to six permits per day. When open, visitors are required to obtain a permit in advance from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. The trail head is located 6.8 miles (10.9 km) inland on Palo Colorado Road.[1][3]
Closure
The preserve was closed when the Soberanes Fire was started by campers in Garrapata Canyon who left a fire untended on July 22, 2016. The fire burned through Palo Colorado Canyon in less than two days, destroying 57 homes and 11 outbuildings in the Garrapata and Palo Colorado Canyon areas. The following winter Rocky Creek washed out the Palo Colorado road, and additional slides and slip outs closed the road. Monterey County states that it does not have the funds to repair the road, preventing visitors from accessing the park. The preserve was also severely damaged by the fire and is closed indefinitely.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Mill Creek Redwood Preserve". Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Anderson, Corby. "Mill Creek Redwood Preserve Trail taps the serenity of Palo Colorado Canyon". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Corby. "Mill Creek Redwood Preserve Trail taps the serenity of Palo Colorado Canyon". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ^ "California's Big Sur Coast: A Scenic Drive - Foster Travel Publishing". 19 July 2012. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018.
- ^ Wright, Tom. "Palo Colorado Road to close for months as crews repair culverts". Monterey Herald. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.