Heritage Grove -

Sam McDonald County Park

The Heritage Grove is a 37-acre preserve of magnificent old-growth redwoods surrounded by over 800 acres of parkland comprised of younger forest and dry ridges. A sense of awe and tranquility permeates this unique enclave of forest that escaped the timber harvesting of earlier years. Many of the grove's huge redwoods were scheduled to be logged until a citizen's group banded together to raise funds to purchase the grove so that the magnificent trees could be preserved forever. The county matched these funds and made acquisition possible. It is considered to have the largest redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Trees common to the redwood forest include the coastal redwood. Douglas fir, various varieties of oak and California bay trees. In the lower elevations along moist ravines, many fern varieties are to be found, including the graceful five finger fern, sword fern, lady fern, gold back fern, polypody and woodwardia ferns. Also to be found along the moister slopes in great abundance are trillium, redwood violet, red clintonia and wild strawberry. In the more shady areas, carpets of redwood sorrel cover the redwood floor, and during the spring rainy season beautiful mosses and curious mushroom shapes appear throughout the park in glorious array.