15 |
ECOLOGICAL STAIRCASE |
DISTANCE: 5.0 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 2.5 hours
SEASON: year-round
DIFFICULTY: moderate
Ecological Staircase Nature Trail skirts a series of marine terraces carved by waves and other forces of nature over a half million years. The trail climbs 200 feet almost imperceptibly, providing a gentle walk through a variety of terrain. Each terrace is 100 feet higher in elevation and 100,000 years older than the one below, with different soil and plant life.
Start with a half-mile walk around the headlands, which provide views of white-sand beaches. In spring, the bluffs are peppered with poppies, Indian paintbrush, lupine, daisies, and wild strawberries. Head under the highway bridge to the first terrace, a prairie dotted with bishop and Monterey pines. The second terrace is a conifer forest of bishop pines, Douglas firs, Sitka spruce, and western hemlocks. Farther along is a redwood and Douglas fir grove.
The third terrace, 2.0 miles in, comprises hardpan soil, sand dunes, and pygmy trees. Soil and drainage are so poor that plants grow only in stunted sizes. The soil here is 300 feet higher in elevation than at the beach but 300,000 years older. Either walk the loop around the pygmy forest or hike a short stretch in and out. Return the way you came.
From Mendocino, drive 4.0 miles north on Hwy. 1 to Jug Handle State Reserve on the left. Turn left and park. The trail begins on the southwest side of the lot. A more direct trail bypassing the coastal headlands begins on the northwest side of the lot.
