Forks House Nature Trail (loop)

No horses or motorized vehicles. Interesting nature trail providing a nice break for families with little ones. It is stop #4 in the brochure for the Foresthill Driving Tour. The trail makes a nice adjunct to the intriguing Placer Big Trees testifying to the ancient presence of Giant Sequoia forests in this area. At Forks House early day Forest Service foresters planted this small grove of giants in training. First planted in 1912 several of those Sequoia are 4-5' in diameter and the gangling conical shapes of these mere teenagers are beginning to resemble their older cousins numbering over a thousand years old. More Sequoias were planted in 1962 after a disastrous fire removed all the surrounding trees -- except for this small grove that was saved by firefighters. These 40-year old, vigorously growing trees are reaching a foot in diameter and have been thinned recently as has the adjacent plantation. The trail circles through the small grove and is graveled for part of its length.

To Forks House Nature Trail (loop)

Topographic Map: Westville. Follow Forest Hill Divide Road east 11 miles to signed intersection for the trail. Turn right onto Road #0088-11 and follow 0.2 mile to signed parking.

Communities

• Foresthill