Stunningly wild
Visiting the fantastical candelabra trees on the Peter Douglas Trail
“Wow, just wow.” We stared up at the trees standing off the steeply twisting trail ahead. We knew these were redwoods, but they looked more like fantastical creatures from a J.R.R. Tolkien tale than the monolithic giants we were used to seeing in the forests around Mendocino. Instead of towering overhead, trunks reaching straight and true to the sky, these monsters had been whirled and curled off into myriad twisting limbs by fierce and salty ocean winds hundreds of years ago. Each limb had then risen on its own journey to the sky, creating the effect of a huge, gnarled candelabra. They were incredible, unlike anything we had ever seen before. We gazed around at these crazy trees, in awe as we slowly mounted the sturdy stairs built into the steep hillside. Then we turned around one hulking trunk and saw, bathed in a glow of filtering sunlight, the most incredible of this whole grove of writhing redwoods. We all stopped in unison and drew in our breath. It was unreal.
The most incredible of all the trees in the grove.
We felt far from the norms and expectations of civilization, where plants and animals generally act as they should and trees look like trees. Out here, the trees had a mind of their own and the very air tasted wild. And rightly so, for we were on the Peter Douglas Trail at the southern end of the Lost Coast, which is not called Lost for nothing. It had taken us an hour and a half to drive here from where we all met up in Fort Bragg, over half of that time being dedicated to crawling along the jagged ruts and abruptly steep hairpin bends of Usal Road. It was a rugged trip, not for the faint of heart, but oh boy howdy was it worth it.
A sample of the views from Usal Road.
We had first heard about the Peter Douglas Trail when the Mendocino Land Trust brought us a stack of brochures listing some of the best local coastal access trails. We explored several of those over the summer and have been excited to share them with guests, but we still had one or two left on the list that we hadn’t quite had a chance to get to yet, this particular trail being one of them. We knew it would be a challenge to access, so we hadn’t been sure when we would make it out here, but the opportunity finally presented itself. We made a plan, packed a picnic, and we were off!
We had the beach all to ourselves.
The first reward of our arduous drive had been our quiet lunch on Usal Beach – there was absolutely no one else out there, leaving us free to enjoy the beauty of the ocean’s broad sweep in total peace. The foam from the waves hissed up the rocky sand below the incline where we stretched out our legs to eat our sandwiches. Lunch over, we skimmed the waterline for interesting stones and joyfully chased a flock of overly complacent seagulls.
On the way back from the beach to the trailhead, we had our second lovely reward as we passed through a stand of river birch. They were so beautiful – graceful and serene, they lined the road with a palpable air of rest. We had to stop and get out of the car to walk through the fringe and simply breath in their calm.
The gentle river birch.
All that had brought us here, to these magnificent candelabra trees on the Peter Douglas Trail. We knew the slow drive back out Usal Road to Highway 1 would take some time, but we were ready to enjoy the views along those vertiginous drop offs and hair-raising turns, because we were floating along on the wonder of the fantastical redwoods before us. We looked around one last time as we headed down the trail to our car, and we shook our heads in awe at these marvelous oddities of nature. Reaching out to touch one gnarled limb that guarded the entrance of the grove, we paused to say goodbye. Deep breath. It was good to be here. It was good to be alive.
On our way back out…
This trail, while well worth a visit, is not for everyone, as the drive out along Usal Road is truly a challenge. This rugged, one-track dirt road is usually only open May through October, when it’s dry enough to be passable. If you are up for the challenge and have a suitable vehicle (4 wheel drive is preferable), head north up Highway 1. Turn left at mile marker 90.7 and keep going until you reach the end. Bring plenty of food and water. Plan on being out for most of the day.
Ocean therapy at Usal Beach.
Words and images by Laura Hockett