Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Northern California. Exploring Mountains, Valleys, and Seashore онлайн

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Urnlike barrels appear beside the trail as you continue. Part of the preserve’s restoration efforts, they hold water to irrigate the plants along the berm. Turn left at the next junction (0.5/10'), where a short dead-end spur continues straight to a partial view of the Middle Slough.

At the next junction (0.7/10'), turn right to briefly parallel the railroad tracks on a dirt road, then go right again at the next junction (0.8/10') to remain on Nature Trail as it heads down toward the river. A grassy path now leads to a T-junction, where you turn left and attain a levee alongside a stand of riparian valley oaks. The large birdhouses you see, for wood ducks, mimic the large tree cavities the birds prefer.

The route curves left to return by the tracks, briefly runs along the base of a railroad trestle, and then bears right to pass underneath it (1.3/10'). You now enter a delightful example of valley oak savannah. Distinct from the moisture-rich river corridor, this ecosystem is populated by large and solitary oaks, their branches a dramatic canopy of twisting limbs and unique architecture.