The Headwaters Forest Reserve is a 7,472-acre area of protected old-growth redwood groves, situated along the northern Californian coast near Humboldt. Established in 1999 to protect the world’s only remaining intact, old-growth redwood forest ecosystem, the Headwaters Forest Reserve is also home to a variety of threatened and endangered wildlife species, including the northern spotted owl, the coho salmon, and the marbled murrelet.

The Reserve features two public hiking trails – the Elk River Trail and the Salmon Pass Trail. Both trails wind through the old-growth redwood forest with interpretive signs along the way, however, the Salmon Pass Trail can only be explored by a guided tour, which presents a unique look at the ecology of the ancient redwood forest.

Palco Road 1, Fortuna, CA 95540, United States, 707-825-2300, (website link)

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