Before You Visit
Interpretive Stops
1. Along Aptos Creek
2. Fern Grotto
3. Twisted Grove
4. Geologic Foundation
5. Redwoods and Associates
6. Magnificent Old Growth
7. Fairy Ring in the Making
8. Granary, Stump, and Burl
9. The Pourroy Garden
10. The Little Slide
11. Smiley Face Stump
12. Big "Round"
13. Goosepen Tree
14. The "Advocate Tree"
15. The Ravine
16. Pourroy's Picnic Area
Additional Information
Animals of Marcel's Forest
You Might Want to Know:
Some Facts About Marcel's Forest
- UTM Coordinates and Latitude/Longitude at the Advocates' Seasonal Bridge across Aptos Creek:
- 402767 East, 4094009 North, Northern Half, Zone 51
- Using map datum, WGS 84: Latitude and Longitude reading is N36.98719, W121.90741
- Marcel's Forest is found on USGS 7.5' Soquel Quadrant Map.
- Fully-charged cellphones work from every interpretive stop along Old-Growth Loop.
You Might Consider Taking:
A hand lens or magnifying glass
- To count old-growth redwood tree-rings at Stop 12
- To see the spores on the backsides of fern leaves
- To find insect larvae on leaves and on rocks
A camera
- Douglas irises and crimson columbines usually bloom in May.
- In the middle of June you'll see tiger lilies
- During the winter or wet season, colorful fungi sprout.
- Perennial plants -- those growing throughout the year -- such as the ferns, can be photographed during all four seasons.
- Birds and deer are most frequently seen at Stops 4-10; especially at the animal hotspot, the Pourroy Garden.
Field glasses
- Use field glasses to view birds, especially near Stops 4-10.
- Use your field glasses to see redwoods growing from the crowns of other redwoods, the tallest measuring 30 feet in height. Read Stops 6 and 7.
- View the large platform branches of Old-Growth redwoods.
A compass
- Bring your compass and see how forest plants and trees can act as a compass. Read Interpretive Stop 15, The Ravine.
You Might Want to Read:
- explore...The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, by Jeff Thomson, Published by Walkabout Publications
- Plants of the Coast Redwood Region, by Kathleen Lyons and Mary Beth Cuneo-Lazaneo, Published by Looking Press
- Coast Redwood: A Natural and Cultural History, by Michael Barbour, Sandy Lydon, Mark Borchert, Marjorie Popper, Valerie Whitworth, and John Evarts. Edited by John Evarts and Marjorie Popper, Published by Cachuma Press
If You're Taking Children:
- Read "A Kid's View of Walking" (PDF 24K) by naturalist and parent, Ethan Rotman, for parental tips on hiking with children.
- Want to make it more of an educational visit with your child? Check out the Teacher's Workshop Materials Drawer for hints about things to do with children. See especially, Measuring the Height of a Tree, Counting the Rings of a Douglas-fir, and the story about how "Douglas-Fir Keeps His Seed Cones."
Please Remember:
- Leave only your tracks. Please take your litter to the kiosk garbage receptacles for disposal.
- Because this is a state park, plants, animals, and even the rocks are protected. It is illegal to disturb or remove any plant, animal, or rock from the forest.
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© 2002 "A Walk Along Old-Growth Loop." All Rights Reserved.
