An independent publisher of web and print media. Printed ♻️ in the 🇺🇸.

Back Country Press logo

Cart

  • Classes
    • Botany Road Trip
    • Botanical Tales of the PCT
    • Arborist CEUs
    • Forest Mushrooms of the Pacific Coast
    • Klamath Mountains Winter Webinar 2022
      • Klamath Mountains Webinar Series
    • Magnificent five-needle pines of Western North America
    • Blue Collar Botany
    • Seaweed Classes
  • Products
    • Books
      • California Desert Plants
      • The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History
      • Field Guide to Manzanitas
      • Wildflowers of California’s Klamath Mountains
      • Conifers of the Pacific Slope
      • Conifer Country
      • Exploring the Berryessa Region
      • Hiking Humboldt Volume 1
      • Hiking Humboldt volume 2
      • Geology of the Lassen Country
      • Articulate Earth
    • Book Resources
    • Sale Items
    • Posters
    • ID Guides
    • Free Downloads
  • Authors
    • Michael Kauffmann
    • Rees Hughes
    • David Rains Wallace
    • Eldridge and Judy Moores
    • Phillip W. Rundel
    • Jason Barnes
    • Julie Kierstead
    • Tom Parker
    • Julie Knorr
    • Justin Garwood
    • Ken DeCamp
    • Kenneth Burton
    • Marc Hoshovsky
    • Michael Clynne
    • Michael Vasey
    • Peter Schiffman
    • Bob Schneider
    • Forrest Hopson
    • Robert J. Gustafson
    • Justin Rohde
  • Blog
    • Podcast
  • About
    • Find Our Books
    • Vendor Sales
    • Newsletter
  • My account
    • Orders
    • Downloads
    • Checkout
    • Login
    • Lost Password
Home » Hikes in Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 » Region F: Southern Redwoods » Hamilton Barn Loop

Hamilton Barn Loop

Hike 69a

Length: 1.8 miles

Total ascent: 200 feet

Elevations: 400 – 475 feet

Type: 100% loop

Land management: Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Fee: none

Access constraints:  none

Dogs: no

Bicycles: yes

Horses: not on the total loop (yes only on the Homestead Trail and the Hamilton Barn access road)

Restrooms: Hamilton Barn Environmental Camp parking lot

Description:  In 1964, Ruby Hamilton sold to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park the ranch that she and her husband, Hugh, had worked for more than five decades. Vestiges of their homestead exist throughout this short walk from the aging apple orchards to remnant concrete steps. By walking one direction on the Environmental Camp access road and the other on the Homestead Trail, the route forms an easy and pleasant loop.

Getting there:  Drive south on US 101 for just over 42.5 miles taking Exit 663 (South Fork/Honeydew/CA Route 254). Turn right onto to Bull Creek Flats Road and proceed west for 6.5 miles. On the right is the access road to the Hamilton Barn Environmental Camp (HBEC). Limited parking is available at the trailhead  on the left side of the Mattole Road (this trail goes to Baxter Environmental Camp and Baxter Trail via a ford of Bull Creek in 0.3 mile) and at the entrance to Hamilton Barn Environmental Camp. When the entrance gate to HBEC is closed, these may be the best options. When open, there is an established parking area for the Environmental Camp with toilet facilities in 0.6 mile. Approximate driving time, 1 hour.

The route:  The route will be described from the entrance and proceeding clockwise. As you walk north on the Hamilton Barn Environmental Camp access road you will climb past the entrance gate and in about 100 yards veer left on a spur road. In another 100 yards, the road intersects with the Homestead Trail.  Turn right on the Homestead Trail. This route parallels the road often staying above the road as it drops toward Mill Creek. The Homestead Trail fords Mill Creek (0.7) although the pedestrian bridge is just downstream and provides an easy alternative if the crossing is difficult. The Homestead Trail passes through the Environmental Camp above the campsites and eventually turns toward Bull Creek and the ford (1.0).  The return route begins just above the ford and below Homestead Trail and proceeds back west through the campsites to the bridge over Mill Creek (1.2) and follows the road back to the entrance (1.8).

It was near these crossings of Mill Creek that Hershell Wheeler, who had relocated from Mississippi, set up a logging mill in 1953.  For nine years, which included the disastrous flood of 1955, he continued to operate until his mill burned and he, like Ruby Hamilton, sold to the park.

FREE SHIPPING with orders over $75

Join Our Newsletter

* indicates required
bookstore

Subscribe to the Backcountry Press Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 166 other subscribers

backcountrypress

Backcountry Press
🚨GOOD NEWS ALERT: Now available for preorder wi 🚨GOOD NEWS ALERT: Now available for preorder with free eBook!

Dearest Klamath Mountains Enthusiasts,

You all have been so patient with us as we attempted to wrangle the complexity of this region into one comprehensive natural history book.

It took 10 years and 34 co-authors, but we did it!!

The full color 496 page hardcover will ship to you in early September, but the eBook is available immediately (and for FREE) with your preorder purchase! 

And if you’re super into learning first hand about the river ecology, geology, plant communities, and more of this epic corner of the world, join lead authors @michael.kauffmann, @justin.garwood, and other co-authors Oct. 7-9 for an all inclusive weekend nerd-out/ campout on the Wild and Scenic South Fork of the Smith River! Your book is included ⛺️🌲📘

Get yours at our Link In Profile

#klamathmountains #naturalhistory #biodiversity #northerncalifornia #southernoregon #trinityalps #trinityalpswilderness #trinitycounty #delnortecounty #siskiyoucounty #josephinecounty #currycounty #jacksoncounty #ashlandoregon #ashland #shasta #shastacounty #humboldt #humboldtcounty #reddingca #reddingcalifornia #exploreoregon #pnw @activenorcal @lostcoastoutpost

https://backcountrypress.com/book/the-klamath-mountains-a-natural-history/
#overachiever 🏔 We asked for pics of our books #overachiever 🏔 We asked for pics of our books in the wild. @forestperi delivered.

Guess who summited Shasta today?!?
#conifercountry

This totally made our day, Forest! Thanks! Too bad there aren’t any conifers to i.d. at 14,180’😆

📷: @aliciaellingson

#mountshasta #booksinthewild #conifers #shasta #northerncalifornia

https://backcountrypress.com/book/conifer-country/
Our books love to join you in the wilderness! Thi Our books love to join you in the wilderness!

This awesome pic just in of Taina and Conifer Country in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Taina is part of the California Fish and Wildlife High Lakes Research Team. They’re mapping lakes and monitoring for Cascades Frogs across northwest CA.

Thanks for doing this important work, Taina and crew!

📷: Justin Garwood, co-editor of The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History

👀 We’d love to see your Backcountry Press books out in the field. Tag us!

#conifercountry #trinityalps #klamathmountains #thisisscience #wilderness #northerncalifornia #norcal #backpacking #fieldguide #botany #botanist #conifers #ecology #naturalhistory

https://backcountrypress.com/book/conifer-country/
North Coasters: Join @michael.kauffmann for Arts A North Coasters: Join @michael.kauffmann for Arts Alive at @eurekabooks this Saturday evening for a book signing event! Come say "Hi" and chat with him about conifers, California Desert Plants, and, of course, the Klamath Mountains!

🤓 He'll even have sand samples from around the world for you to check out. See if you can guess which one came from the Mojave Desert's Kelso Dunes!

📷: Dylan Neubauer

#artsalive #meettheauthor #ilikeeureka #madeinhumboldt #humboldtmade #californianativeplants #desertplants #humboldtcounty #humboldt #eurekaca #mojavedesert #californiadesertplants 

https://backcountrypress.com/book/california-desert-plants/
2,394 species = The total flora of the California 2,394 species = The total flora of the California deserts!

The six largest plant families in the California deserts make up more than 1/4 of the native flora... can you guess what they are?

⬇️

⬇️

⬇️

• Asteraceae (sunflower family) = 200 species

• Fabaceae (legume family) = 98 species

• Poaceae (grass family) = 93 species

• Polemoniaceae (phlox family) = 78 species

• Polygonaceae (buckwheat family) = 77 species

• Hydrophyllaceae (phacelia family) = 75 species

📷:
1. Psathyrotes ramosissima, Asteraceae, turtleback | Photo by Matt Berger @sheriff_woody_pct 

2. Lupinus concinnus, Fabaceae, bajada lupine | Photo by Patrick Alexander

3. Stipa hymenoides, Poaceae, indian ricegrass | Photo by Matt Berger

4. Linanthus dichotomus, Polemoniaceae, evening snow | Photo by Jim Morefield

5.  Rumex hymenosepalus, Polygonaceae, desert rhubarb | Photo by Matt Berger

6. Phacelia crenulata, Hydrophyllaceae, notch-leaved phacelia | Photo by Stan Shebs

➡️ This PSA was brought to you by our new book: “California Desert Plants”

Tap our Link In Profile to find yours!

#californiadesertplants #mojavedesert #sonorandesert #greatbasin #californianativeplants #joshuatreenationalpark #cadesertplants #deathvalley #anzaborrego

https://backcountrypress.com/book/california-desert-plants/
Nuggets of knowledge we soaked up from @sheriff_wo Nuggets of knowledge we soaked up from @sheriff_woody_pct on the Botany Road Trip to the Intermountain West:

1. Rare plants tend to grow in clusters with other rare plants.

2. When choosing to except a hitch or not, feel more comfortable if a couple is offering the ride. Couples, generally, don’t murder people.

3. If it looks onionish but doesn’t smell a onionish, don’t eat it. It may kill you.

4. Studying satellite imagery for interesting soil types and rocky outcrops is a great way to hunt for rare plant locations.

5. Look more closely at the tiny plants you step over.

6. Penstemon is the most diverse genus that is endemic to North America!

Part 2 of our 3 part journey featured 12  of them, including this gorgeous King’s Beardtongue (Penstemon kingii) from Utah.

This evening Part 3 takes us to the southeast to meet, among others things, loads of carnivorous plants. Sundews, flytraps, and pitcher plants — oh my!

#botanyroadtrip #botanizing #botanist #nativeplants #rareplants #carnivourousplant #penstemon

https://backcountrypress.com/product/botany-road-trip/
Load More... Follow on Instagram

GIft Card from BCP

Product tags

Botany Butterflies California Conifers Desert ecology ectotherms explorations Fire Fire Ecology Forest pathogens Fungi Geology Hat Hiking Hiking Guide Humboldt County Identification Card Invertebates Klamath Mountains Lassen Volcanic National Park Literature Mammals Natural History Oregon Pacific Crest Trail pathogens Pines Plant Exploring Plants redwood forest Rivers road guide Seaweed Trinity Alps Washington