Guided Bird Walk on the Salmon Pass Trail

Hike Description: The seasonal, reservation-only Salmon Pass Trail passes 3 miles round-trip through spectacular old-growth and second-growth redwood forest on the south side of the Headwaters Forest Reserve. Join local biologist and author, Ken Burton, on a three-mile round-trip bird walk along the trail.  This walk will emphasize bird sounds and will be an excellent opportunity to hone your birding-by-ear skills.  We should hear (and maybe see) Varied Thrush, Pacific Wren, Wilson's Warbler, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, Hutton's Vireo, and other feathered denizens of the redwood forest.  If we're lucky, we might add Sooty Grouse to the list.  Ken will discuss these birds' ecology as well. Ken Burton has been a resident of Humboldt County since 2005 and after a career in wildlife biology now spends his time leading tours and writing books (among many other things).  He is the author of Common Birds of Northwest California and A Birding Guide to Humboldt County. 

Time and Difficulty: The hike lasts 3-4 hours and is moderately strenuous, with a continuous 240 ft climb up switchbacks to the Salmon Pass ridgeline, and 360 ft of elevation change overall. Hikes begin at 10 or 11 am depending on the date. Hikes are limited to 12 people.

How to join a hike: Reserve free passes online to join a scheduled Docent-Guided Hike. Registered hikers meet in Fortuna and caravan to the Salmon Pass Trailhead. The group will caravan 4 miles from the parking lot to the Salmon Pass Trailhead. High clearance and all-wheel or 4WD are required to drive and/or carpooling is encouraged.

Distance: 3 miles round-trip.

Time: 3-4 hours

Difficulty Level: moderately strenuous

Elevation change: 360 ft overall, with a sustained 240 ft climb up switchbacks to the Salmon Pass ridgeline.

Weather: Temps Range: Low 50s-to-high 60s and can be cloudy, rainy, and breezy.

Starting location: Registered hikers meet in the Fortuna Community Center parking lot (3000 Newburg Rd, Fortuna, CA 95540). The hike is limited to 12 people. Please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes before your scheduled meeting time to check in. The group will caravan 4 miles from the parking lot to the Salmon Pass Trailhead along a dirt/gravel road. High clearance and all-wheel or 4WD are encouraged to drive and carpooling with other registered hikers from the meeting point to the trailhead is encouraged.

What to Wear: Hiking boots, layered clothing, rain gear, and a backpack.

What to pack: plenty of water, snacks, sun protection, hiking poles optional.

Facilities: The Salmon Pass Trailhead has parking, a non-flush toilet, and no water.

Tips/Suggestions:

• Come breakfast-fed & hydrated before park meetup.
• Make sure vehicle is reliable & can handle 30° grade sections on a dirt/gravel old logging roadway to the trailhead. Or plan to carpool in with another hiker.
• There will be no lunch break. Bring snacks for before, during, and after the hike.
• Remember to Leave No Trace.
• Dress in layers (check for rain/temps in that day’s Fortuna CA forecast).
• Hide & lock valuables in your vehicle, at both Newburg parking lot and Trailhead parking lots.
• If you need to cancel – please cancel your online reservation at least 5 days in advance to make space for others to sign up for the hike.