I remember the first time I visited the Russian River area in the early ’90s, and how amazed I was – having previously spent my entire life on the East Coast – that those soaring, ancient California 
redwoods I’d been hearing about for years existed right in the heart of coastal Sonoma County. I’d always figured you had to drive many more miles north, to Redwood National Park. In fact, one of the state’s most impressive stands of coast redwoods lies just 3 miles north of the LGBT-popular vacation community of Guerneville. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, which most locals refer to simply as “Armstrong Woods”, was saved from destruction by a 19th-century lumberman named James Armstrong, who realized the importance and magnificence of these trees and sought to preserve it. The 805-acre property, which is adjacent to 5,683-acre Austin Creek State Recreation (which has camping, while Armstrong Woods does not), has been operated by the California State Park system since 1934.
Armstrong Woods is the perfect climate for coast redwoods, thanks to the 55 inches of rain the park receives each year. Within this astounding peaceful, contemplative park, you can meander past many trees taller than 200 feet and greater than 12 feet in diameter (these are the tallest living things on the planet!) – the age of some exceeds 1,000 years, with the park’s oldest tree, named for James Armstrong, dating back to roughly 600 AD. The tallest redwood in the park, called the Parsons Jones Tree, towers some 310 feet above the earth – it’s a short walk from the entrance to the park. If you’re planning a visit here, keep in mind that the park is open from 8 am until an hour after sunset, but there’s also a visitor center open daily 11 am until 3 pm, as well as a picnic grove – and this is one amazing setting for a noontime, open-air lunch. Whether you’re up for a short stroll or a longer ramble through the woods, hiking trails are many and range from 1-mile level walks from the visitor center to more strenuous hikes of up to 9 miles, where you’ll climb some 1,500 feet in elevation over the rugged terrain.
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Very nice.
Thought it was Muir Woods at first.
Thanks for the post, we will head out there next week.
bv
I love Armstrong Redwoods. One of my best memories is dancing ballet on an outdoor stage there just for myself. I’m hoping it is still there.
Correct: Armstrong Woods DOES have camping. It’s just pass the vista point at the top. The name of the campground is “Bullfrog Pond” and it has showers, fire rings etc. Most of the sites (except the large sites next to the actual pond) are shaded by Redwood trees, so it’s a nice place to camp on a hot day. It’s first-come first-served, though, so get there early to get a spot, and come early on a week day for the best chance. Beautiful park – I practically grew up there and I highly recommend it. Great hiking too. Also worth noting: the camping in Austin Creek is wilderness camping, meaning 1-2 “sites” at each spot, no amenities, and you have to backpack in (no access by car), although they’re not too far from the vista point where you can park (I think Tom King Camp’s 1-spot is the closest and Manning Flat’s 2-spots are a little farther and sits along Austin Creek, and I can’t remember if there’s a third spot elsewhere.)
Thx for the comments everyone, and especially the correction about camping from Pat – I didn’t realize there were sites within Armstrong Woods. Very cool!
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After reading your article, I am looking forward to visiting Armstrong Redwoods soon!
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