Streelow Creek Trail Open through September 1, 2011

Date: June 20, 2011
Contact: Michael Sanders, 707-465-7742

The Streelow Creek Trail within Redwood National and State Parks hasre-opened to hike and bike access and will remain open until September 1, 2011. The temporary opening allows park visitors to enjoy this 1.8-mile-long hiking and bicycling trail established on old logging roads adjacent to Streelow Creek through the end of the summer.

Streelow Creek is a tributary of Prairie Creek. Logging in the Streelow Creek watershed and maintenance of logging roads ceased upon creation of Redwood National Park in 1968. Both creeks contain some of the best remaining rearing and spawning habitat for salmonids in the park.Restoration efforts in the parks, such as these trail improvements, have helped threatened and endangered (T&E) fish and wildlife primarily byreducing sedimentation from logging roads through road decommissioning and rehabilitation. Reducing sediment runoff fromhillslopes creates better stream substrate for anadromous fish redds (gravel bed for eggs) and fry (young fish). It also helps stabilize streambanks, which allows old-growthredwood trees to remain upright and keeps old-growth habitat intact for species such as the northernspotted owl and marbled murrelet.

The Streelow Creek Trail improvements are necessary to protect three species of salmonids listed asthreatened-Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)-and to improve the safety and experience for park visitors whouse the trail. Six culverts will be replaced along the trail. In addition, vegetation will be thinned alongthe western end of the route as part of an eventual road-to-trail conversion. Both projects require the useof heavy equipment along the roadway, making the trail unsafe for public use during construction.

In addition to the Streelow Creek Trail, there are many other opportunities-from leisurely strolls to challenging bike routes-to explore the 170 miles of hiking trails, 54 miles of bicycle trails, and 44 miles of horse trails in your Redwood National and State Parks. For more information, maps, and suggestions for exploring your parks, stop by the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center located on Highway101 just south of Orick, California, or the Crescent City Information Center at 1111 Second Street in Crescent City, California. Both visitor centers are open seven days a week. Information can also be obtained by calling (707) 465- 7335 (M-F) or visiting the park website at www.nps.gov/redw. Questions regarding the Streelow Creek Trail improvements project may bedirected to Michael Sanders, National Park Service Geologist, at 707-465-7742.

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