LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST

WHEN MY SON WAS A YOUNG BOY AND MY MOM CAME TO VISIT, WE TRAVELED TO THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. THEY HAVE A SMALL TRAIN THERE AND MY SON LOVES TRAINS. WE HAPPENED TO SEE A SIGN THAT POINTED TO THE HISTORIC STEAM TRAIN AS IT GOES THROUGH COASTAL REDWOOD FORESTS TO A SMALL COMMUNITY CALLED FELTON. THEY HAVE A COVERED BRIDGE OVER A BIG CREEK IN THIS SMALL PARK. THE STEAM TRAIN RIDE WAS PACKED AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL CARS THAT ARE OPEN AIR THAT TAKE YOU FOR A HALF HOUR RIDE.


THE LOS PADRES FOREST IS MORE OF A WILDERNESS YET IT HAS MANY TRIALS THAT I HAVE NOT YET HIKED ON YET! MY GIRLFRIEND'S MOM USED TO BE A MANAGER FOR THIS FOREST.


WE TRAVELED TO HEARST CASTLE AND STOPPED TO RIDE THE TRAIN ON THE WAY DOWN. THE FOREST HAS ELEVATIONS UP TO 8800' IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IT HAS 2 MILLION ACRES. THE FOREST INCLUDES THE BIG SUR COAST AND 300 MILES OF HIKING TRAILS AND 300 MILES OF HIKING TRAILS AND 11 CAMPGROUNDS. THEY HAVE A VENTANA WILDERNESS WHERE THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR LIVES. THEY ALSO HAVE THE SAN RAFAEL WILDERNESS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS 8 OTHER SPECIES HERE. THERE ARE MANY THREATENED SPECIES HERE. THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR THREATENED SPECIES HERE. THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR AND THE PERIGRIN FALCON. THEY HAVE MOUNTAIN LIONS, MULE DEER AND IN SESPE CREEK CANYON THEY HAVE BIGHORN SHEEP, BLACK BEARS, COYOTES, AND OCCASIONAL BOBCATS.

THEIR OLD GROWTH FOREST REPRESENTS 19,000 ACRES MOSTLY OF JEFFREY PINE. THEY HAVE MANY REPRESENTED IN THE FOREST, INCLUDING CHAPARRAL, CONIFEROUS FOREST, OLD GROWTH FORESTS OF JEFFREY PINE AND REDWOODS, DOUGLAS AND WHITE FIR. THIS FOREST HAS EXTREME RISK OF FOREST FIRES. LOS PADRES WAS NAMED SANTA BARBARA FOREST UNTIL 1936 AND THEN INCLUDED ABOUT 6 OF THERE TWO SMALLER NATIONAL FORESTS.

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