A fresh snow blankets a forest of Ponderosa Pines near Mammoth Lakes, California. Ponderosa Pine is perhaps the most beloved of the Western pines. Its soft texture and light color distinguish it from the Southern pines; its wood is among the most beautiful of all pines. Withstanding of high winds and generally fire resistant, the ponderosa pine is the most widely distributed species of its genus in North America. The prolific ponderosa reproduces through seeds in cones and takes about two years to fully mature. Ponderosa pines can be found all across the country -- from Yosemite National Park in California and Hells Canyon Wilderness in Oregon to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota and Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Luffenholtz Beach is a Humboldt County park just south of the small town of Trinidad. The park has a large scenic overlook on a rock that juts out into the surf with views toward Trinidad Head and the picturesque town. Luffenholtz Creek sometimes flows across this narrow dark sand beach which has large rocks in the surf and offshore to photograph.
One of Del Norte County's overlooked hiking gems, the Damnation Creek Trail offers visitors solitude among magnificent virgin coast redwoods and a scenic pathway to a nearly inaccessible stretch of rugged coastline. Located in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park 8 miles south of Crescent City, the trail meanders through massive old-growth redwoods before plunging 1,000 feet to open up on Damnation Cove and the Pacific Ocean.
