Take A Boardwalk Trail Through The Ecological Terraces Of Jug Handle State Natural Reserve In Northern California
By Lysa Allman-Baldwin|Published July 19, 2022
×
Lysa Allman-Baldwin
Author
For over 25 years Lysa Allman-Baldwin has fed her wanderlust for “everything the world has to offer” by passionately writing travel and feature articles for numerous global print and online publications. A Digital Nomad, Lysa is also a professional speaker, workshop facilitator, and author.
The Northern California landscape is among the most ecologically diverse areas of the state. Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, located between Fort Bragg and Mendocino, offers visitors an opportunity to venture through a unique ecological terrace formed over 500,000 years.
Today’s Jug Handle State Natural Reserve is a result of five ecological succession terraces straddling the Pacific Coast Highway.
The constant shifts in the earth's plate tectonics during what is called the Pleistocene period resulted in dramatic rising and falling water levels. This is what helped form the bluffs and coastline.
Advertisement
The wind played a major role in the shaping of the landscape and ecological terraces here as well.
Extending 2.5-miles, the trail meanders through what has been called "one of the most interesting geologic areas in the Northern Hemisphere." From it you can see the bluffs, beach, intricate aspects of the forest, and a wealth of plant and animal life.
As you walk along, you’ll be amazed at how the evolutionary forces shaped the landscape.
Your journey along the Ecological Staircase Trail can be broken down into a short length if desired. If you only go the first ½-mile, it’s an easy and flat loop running along the coastline and covers seven stops along the trail. The five-mile roundtrip journey is more of a moderate level, with only about a 300-foot elevation gain.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps. constructed a bridge here.
Whether you come for a few hours or plan to spend the day (you can stay longer at the Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center which offers camping and lodging facilities), you’re sure to find that a visit here is an unparalleled Northern California ecological experience.
Have you been to Jug Handle State Natural Reserve? If so, we’d love to see your photos and hear about your experience there. You can also learn more about the reserve on their Facebook page.
