About Headwaters Forest Reserve
The city of Fortuna is the gateway to the redwoods of Northern California, and one of the most famous groves is an undeveloped area called Headwaters Forest Reserve. This untouched redwood grove near Fortuna contains the world's most spectacular ancient trees. Some are 300 feet high and 2,200 years old. This grove is also the home of several hundred species of companion plants. The forest also protects the headwaters of the several major stream systems in the Reserve that provide habitat for the threatened Coho Salmon and other fish. Much of the flora and fauna is characteristic of a riparian habitat: willows, maples, redwoods and alder trees. Uniquely, there are apple trees, cherry trees and yew trees as well. At the trails end, facing south, is the Headwaters old-growth grove stretching about five miles. From March 25 to September 15, the redwoods are home to the Marbled Murrelet, a seabird that nests in the large redwood branches. The nesting birds have a high level of sensitivity to human intrusion. Because of the sensitivity, visitors are not allowed in the old-growth forest during breeding season. The redwood floor is rich with bio-diversity and beauty. Douglas Fir, tan oak, western hemlock, western red cedar and Sitka spruce are many of the trees that share the forest with the California redwoods. Plants that you would find include: salal, sword fem, five-fingered fern, lichen, mosses and trillium in the spring.
Headwaters Forest Facts
- Location: California
- Size: 7,400 acres
- Date: On March 1, 1999 the Headwaters Forest and surrounding lands were acquired from private owners by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the State of California
- Managing Agency: The Bureau of Land Management
