Devil's Gulch, Samuel P Taylor State Park (Marin County)

Leader: Rusty Scalf (510-495-5837)

Date: Wednesday November 26, 8:30 - Noon

Description: This will be an easy four mile walk on a fire road. Two miles out, then two back. 
Afterwards those interested can continue hiking on a second wooded trail. Actually this park is quite large and has many trails, and the National Seashore is not far to the west.

We will look for a variety of woodland, chaparral and grassland birds. Pileated Woodpecker is a real possibility.  But a primary interest of this walk is a very special tree, The California Torreya. Torreyas are ancient and idiosyncratic trees of extremely spotty distribution. This species is endemic to California. Their foliage is quite like a Fir, but their fruit looks more like a lime.  Devil's Gulch happens to be blessed with a population of this enigmatic tree.  The genus goes back an astonishing 156 million years, so definitely a Living Fossil. 

Parking is a big issue here and that's we've chosen a week day. The downside is dealing with morning traffic across the RSR bridge.  Allow an hour 10 minutes to make get there on a weekday morning.  Detailed directions will be provided and a short Torreya talk will be given.

The genus Torreya: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torreya

Our very own California: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torreya_californica

Limit: 15 Particpants Max

Google Maps knows this as Devil's Gulch Fire Road Trailhead. 
Less than a mile beyond the entrance to Samuel P Taylor

https://maps.app.goo.gl/o6wktULiZASRmon46

Registration for this event will open at 1 pm on Tuesday, October 21, and close at 11 pm on Monday, November 24.