Old growth redwood / photo by Paolo Vescia, courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust

Bear Creek Redwoods Upper Lake Interpretive Tour: Stop 3 - Redwood Logging

Old growth redwood, Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve (Paolo Vescia, courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Graphic map of Upper Lake Interpretive Walk. Numbers 1 through 9 dot the trail around the loop. The number 3 is highlighted

The slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains were once covered with old-growth redwood forests with trees several hundred years old, and commonly more than 200 feet tall and 10 feet across. Between 1850 and 1900, the rapid growth of San Francisco and San Jose fueled a high demand for lumber, and most of the old-growth trees in the region were felled. One large redwood could provide enough wood to build 20 houses.

Oxen used for logging
Teams of oxen were used to haul the enormous logs to the mills.
Next Stop: Aquatic Innovations

Sign up for our newsletter to find out what’s happening in your open space!

 
Back to top