The newly remodeled visitor center at Henry Cowell State Park in
Felton, which has been in the making for more than six years, is
finally complete.
Earlier this month, the park opened its interactive display at
the nature center that comes complete with lights and sounds.
The newly remodeled visitor center at Henry Cowell State Park in Felton, which has been in the making for more than six years, is finally complete.
Earlier this month, the park opened its interactive display at the nature center that comes complete with lights and sounds.
The display is designed to help visitors to learn and appreciate
the park and its habitat. More
than 600,000 people visit the park each year.
“We have had huge interest in it,” said Gail Smith, who leads walks and tours at the park. “There is so much here now. Not only is it beautified, but it is extremely beneficial. People have been telling me they could easily spend 45 minutes to an hour there.”
Each of the four habitats in the park – redwood, riparian (river), sandhill and grassland – is decorated with freeze-dried animals from that habitat. There are many wildlife scenes complete with sounds recorded in the environment.
The display, which cost nearly $400,000, also includes information about the park’s role in its campaign to save the redwoods from being cut down by the logging industry.
“Even (Tuesday), with the rain we had, about 125 people came to the visitor center,” said John Fairchild, a Henry Cowell docent who has been volunteering at the park for 15 years. “It is a center for interpretation and really is like a museum. It is a pretty inclusive exhibit we have. The most important thing we do is to introduce children to the beauty here. Many come from environments where they don’t even know what redwood trees are.”
There are 15 miles of trails in the park for hiking and riding. And each Saturday at 2pm, the park hosts one-hour grove walks through the trees.
The park is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday. The visitor center is open 11am to 3pm Tuesdays through Sundays and is free to the public, but there is a $6 per vehicle parking fee. The fee is waived for school groups, and curriculum is available.
The visitor center is located at the main entrance to Henry Cowell off Highway 9 in Felton. For more information, call (831) 335-3174 or visit www.mountainparks.org.
