This field trip is a stand-alone or a follow-up to our September 21st “Oaks of California” workshop at the El Dorado CNPS native plant garden – the Nature Nook – at the Placerville Library. (See the notice about the workshop under “Events” on our website eldoradocnps.org.) Quarry Road Trail is simply gorgeous in the fall! We will meet seven different species of oaks there, including trees and shrubs, and you’ll learn to recognize the different species as well as their important roles in foothill habitats.
But that’s not all! The Quarry Road Trail passes through the habitats of a diverse collection of foothill shrubs and trees besides the oaks, so we’ll get to know them, also. Plus, since we’re visiting in the fall, the flowering trees and shrubs will be producing their fruits and seeds, which can be very helpful in identifying them, as well as adding color and beauty to the landscapes of which they are a part.
This trail is an easy one. From the trailhead – off Highway 49 at the confluence of the north and middle forks of the American River – to our lunch “spot” is a mile on an old roadbed. This was once the route of a railway transporting limestone from the quarry. After lunch, we’ll proceed further east on the trail for about another half mile to a slope covered by the shrub form of Oregon oak (Quercus garryana var. semota) resembling an elfin forest of the craggy oaks. This portion of the trail has a bit more hilliness but is on an old road and thus is a fairly easy trek.
We aim to return to the trailhead by about 2 pm. The total length of our walk will be about 3 miles. However, folks that wish to return to the trailhead after lunch are welcome to do so; you’ll just need to let the trip leaders know. The total length of the that walk is about 2 miles. There are pit toilet and Port-a-Potty facilities available along the trail.
You’ll want to bring water, lunch/snacks, insect repellent, sunscreen, and your camera. You might also like to bring a field guide along, such as the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada, the CNPS Redbud Chapter’s Trees and Shrubs of Nevad and Placer Counties, or Stuart and Sawyer’s Trees and Shrubs of California, and some binoculars, too, for bird watching.
Questions? Email our Field Trip Coordinator, Ginna Meyer, by clicking here.
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