The San Lorenzo River

The San Lorenzo River runs year-round through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, past the day-use area, the Redwood Grove and the river gorge below the campground. California State Parks lists swimming and fishing among the park's activities and suggests Cable Car Beach, on the River Trail, for a swim on a warm day. Fishing is limited to catch-and-release for steelhead under state rules. Several trail crossings have no bridges; never cross when the water is above your knees.

The River in the Park

The San Lorenzo roughly follows the line of the Ben Lomond Fault, and the river's cutting and the fault's movement are the two forces that shaped the park. Its banks carry a separate forest from the redwoods: western sycamore, black cottonwood, white alder, box elder and arroyo willow. Listen for belted kingfishers and look for great blue herons. The river is a spawning ground for endangered steelhead trout.

The River Trail follows the water near the day-use area, and with the Meadow Trail it makes an easy loop of about a mile from the entrance road. See hiking.

Swimming

California State Parks lists swimming at Henry Cowell and points to Cable Car Beach, on the River Trail, as a place to cool off at the end of the Cowell Highlights Loop or the Cathedral Redwoods hike. The official map also marks Frisbee Beach, Big Rock Hole and the Garden of Eden along the river.

What the agency does not list matters too: no lifeguard is mentioned for any of these spots, so plan to swim unsupervised. Some practical points from the park's own warnings:

• The trails down to the river are steep and slippery when wet.
• The river is wide and fast-moving in winter and spring.
• With no lifeguards, keep children within reach.

Fishing

The brochure says limited catch-and-release steelhead fishing draws anglers to the San Lorenzo, and sends them to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (wildlife.ca.gov) for seasons, licences and restrictions. Steelhead here are an endangered population, so read the current CDFW regulations for this river before you fish; they change, and this site does not repeat them.

Crossing the River on Foot

Several backcountry routes ford the river with no bridges:

• Four Crossings, a 5-mile loop from the campground, wades the river four times. California State Parks says it is doable for most people from July to October, but in the rainy season, if the water rises above knee height, choose another hike. Storms move the crossing points each year, so bring a map.
• Rincon Fire Road crosses the river with no bridge; cyclists walk their bikes across.
• The official map marks one bridge as seasonal.

Stay Off the Tracks

A private railroad runs through the river gorge. California State Parks marks the tracks and trestles as private property and says not to walk on or cross them. See Roaring Camp Railroad.

River History

Long before the park, the Sayante people, a group within the Ohlone culture, lived by the river and traded its steelhead and salmon with neighbouring tribes for acorns and obsidian. In 1855 gold was found in a small creek opposite today's picnic area, a spot still called Gold Gulch. Downstream, California Powder Works made black powder from 1864 until 1916; parts of its flume and the diversion dam, marked on the map, remain. More on the history page.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: a shaded riverside walk, a summer swim at Cable Car Beach, and late-season wading hikes like Four Crossings.

Maybe skip if: the river is high after winter storms. Stay on the bridged trails near the day-use area, or walk the Redwood Grove Loop instead.