Iconic Sonoma Redwoods Reopening Following 15-Month Wildfire Closure

Photo: Expedia

The iconic redwoods of Sonoma will once again be open to visitors following over a year closure after the Walbridge Fire torched more than 55,200 acres of the beloved park.

On October 29, the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve will once again open its gates to visitors, allowing people to hike through the large, ancient trees outside Guerneville, California. The park will only open on its valley floor, which is where most people spend their time hiking to see the 310-foot Parson Jones Tree, the 1,400year-old Colonel Armstrong Tree and the unusual formations of the Icicle Tree.

In August 2020, much of the park was burned in the Walbridge Fire, which was caused by the now infamous lightning storm that sparked many large wildfires throughout NorCal. The fire destroyed 156 homes near Healdsburg and forced firefighters to aggressively battle the flames to save the unique redwood forest. In the end, the fire didn’t cause too much damage to the redwoods and provided a beneficial removal of dry fuels surrounding the trees. The park did have to repair and rebuild some infrastructure that burned in the flames.

Now, after 15 months of repair, the redwoods will once again be seen by the visitors and locals who adore them so much. The popular Pioneer Nature Trail and Discovery Trail will be open for hikers, although much of the area remains closed. Refer to this map to see what’s closed:

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