Majestic Oaks Trail: a short trail through the oak forest of Caswell Memorial State Park

Oak forest of Caswell Memorial State Park in California's Central Valley

Majestic Oaks Trail is a short hiking trail through dense oak forest. This less-than-a-half-mile-long trail connects with Fenceline Trail and Gray Fox Trail and intersects with River Bend Trail in Caswell Memorial State Park, California. Some of the majestic valley oak trees in the park are said to be more than 60 feet tall and can have a circumference of up to 17 feet. Wild grapevine is taking over the underbrush—and in many places is trying to reach for the higher branchwork as well.

The spreading oak forest canopy is amazing. You are in an oak jungle. To appreciate the size of a single valley oak, see the broad-crowned oak tree in the Cosumnes River Preserve, another small Central Valley park, in which old valley oak trees are preserved and new ones are planted to keep the Valley alive with valley oak.