Samuel P. TaylorState Park - California |
Samuel P. Taylor State Park is a state park located in Marin County, California. It contains approximately 2,700 acres (11 km2) of redwood and grassland. The park contains about 600 acres (2.4 km2) of old-growth forest, some of which can be seen along the Pioneer Tree Trail.
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https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_P._Taylor_State_Park
Samuel P. Taylor State Park is a state park located in Marin County, California. It contains approximately 2,700 acres (11 km2) of redwood and grassland. The park contains about 600 acres (2.4 km2) of old-growth forest, some of which can be seen along the Pioneer Tree Trail.
Samuel P.
Taylor
State Park
Our Mission
The mission of California State Parks is
to provide for the health, inspiration and
education of the people of California by helping
to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological
diversity, protecting its most valued natural and
cultural resources, and creating opportunities
for high-quality outdoor recreation.
Majestic redwoods,
open grasslands, and
pristine creeks unite
in a stunning display
of natural beauty
California State Parks supports equal access.
Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who
need assistance should contact the park at
(415) 488-9897. If you need this publication in an
alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov.
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
For information call: (800) 777-0369.
(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.
711, TTY relay service
www.parks.ca.gov
Discover the many states of California.™
SaveTheRedwoods.org/csp
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
8889 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Lagunitas, CA 94938
(415) 488-9897
California freshwater shrimp photo courtesy of
Dr. Larry Serpa, The Nature Conservancy
© 2009 California State Parks (Rev. 2015)
at Samuel P. Taylor
State Park.
S
amuel P. Taylor State Park’s landscape
ranges from shady canyon groves to oakstudded grasslands to the rolling hills atop
Barnabe Peak. Nestled in the wooded
countryside of west Marin County, the 2,882acre park invites visitors to camp, bike, ride
horses, and savor a piece of paradise.
This redwood forest community
enjoys a mild climate varying from
dense fog and rain to full sun.
Summer temperatures average in
the low 80s, while winter days drop
to the low 50s with frequent rainfall.
PARK HISTORY
Native People
Archaeological evidence shows that
the indigenous Coast Miwok people
inhabited the area now known as
west Marin County for at least 3,000 to
4,000 years before Spanish missionaries and
settlers arrived. The Miwok, one of the most
populous native groups in California, have
a cultural heritage that includes shamanism
and complex, elaborate languages. The
Coast Miwok lived on nature’s abundance,
sustaining the land and coastal waters
by fishing and hunting only for what was
consumed and burning the grasslands after
their seed harvest to encourage new growth.
European explorers began incursions
into Coast Miwok tribal lands in the 1500s.
By the 1700s, the Spanish mission builders
had forced many Coast Miwok natives
into servitude. The land was taken over
by Spanish and Mexican land grantees,
and many Miwok tribespeople died from
diseases introduced by the settlers.
Today, Miwok descendants continue to
live in or near Marin County.
Samuel P. Taylor
The 1848 discovery of gold drew fortuneseekers to California. The son of a paper
mill owner on New York’s Hudson River,
adventurous Samuel
Penfield Taylor purchased a
schooner with some friends
and set sail for San Francisco
Bay. Upon arrival in 1849,
22-year-old Samuel found
a wooden cask filled with
eggs floating near shore. He
cooked the eggs and set up a
food stand on the beach.
Food sales proved
profitable. With his earnings,
Samuel P. Taylor
Taylor and a partner opened
a lumberyard in San Francisco; two years later
he left for Hawkins’ Bar, Tuolumne County, to
pan for gold. In 1852, at the peak of the gold
rush, Taylor shipped just over 21 pounds of
gold dust to his San Francisco bankers. The
gold dust netted Taylor $5,692; that quantity
is worth more than $400,000 today.
Taylor found and purchased 100 acres in
western Marin County from Mexican land
grantee Rafael Garcia. Drawing on his father’s
paper mill experience, Taylor opened
the first paper mill on the west coast. The
Pioneer Paper Mill Company used rags,
rope, jute, and wood pulp to make paper.
The company grew rapidly due to demand
for paper and expense of importing it from
the east coast. The bustling community of
Taylorville grew up around the paper mill.
In 1874 the North Pacific Coast Railroad
built a narrow-gauge railroad running from
Sausalito through Marin to serve Point Reyes
and Tomales Bay. The route was important to
commerce and brought tourists to the area.
Camp Taylor, one of California’s first
recreational camping sites, became an
extremely popular northern California
weekend destination from the late 1870s to
the early 1900s. Guests were encouraged to
spend summers in the wilderness, where
they could camp, swim in the millpond, fish,
hunt, explore the natural wonders, and relax.
NATURAL HISTORY
Chert and sandstone underlie well-drained
soil that hosts profuse vegetation. Shaded,
fern-filled groves of coast redwoods, Sequoia
sempervirens, are found along the canyon
bottoms and up the north-facing slopes.
The striking Aralia californica, or elk clover,
displays immense leaves with huge creamcolored flowers blossoming in early summer.
Oak and madrone hardwoods dominate the
park’s grasslands.
Pioneer Paper Mill
Wide, grassy slopes characterize Devil’s
Gulch. A succession of native wildflowers adds
an ever-
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Camp Taylor Area
8889 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. • Lagunitas, CA 94938
(415) 488-9897
Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s landscape ranges from shady canyon redwood groves to oak-studded grasslands to the
rolling hills atop Mount Barnabe. Nestled in 2,882 acres of wooded countryside in west Marin County, the park invites
visitors to camp, bike, ride horses and savor a piece of paradise.
The main campground has over 50 campsites with
restrooms, hot quarter operated showers and piped
drinking water. Some parking spaces can accommodate
small trailers, but none have hookups. Four wood
cabins, each holding up to 5 people, are also available
with electricity, platform bunk beds with mattresses,
wood floor, covered porch and a small electric heater.
Six group campsites, accommodating 10-50 people,
as well as a horse camp, may be reserved. Madrone
Group Camp #1 has space for up to 50 people. Three
small group sites can accommodate 10-15 people,
depending on the site. There are three sites at Devil’s
Gulch. Two tent-only sites can each accommodate up to
10 people. The larger equestrian campsite has a corral,
hitching racks and water troughs; it can accommodate
up to 20 people and is reserved for equestrians only.
PARK FEES are due and payable upon entry into the
park [CCR 4302]. Use the self-registration system if the
entrance station is closed. Campsite fee covers one
vehicle. Extra vehicle fees are due and payable upon
arrival [CCR 4453].
OCCUPANCY: Maximum occupancy is 6 people per
campsite [CCR 4452 (b)]. Group sites and cabins have
specific occupancy limits. Contact the park for sitespecific information.
VEHICLE PARKING: Vehicles must be parked on
pavement and at your assigned campsite [CCR 4355].
Two vehicles maximum per campsite [CCR 4452 (a)].
Additional vehicle parking may be available in the
picnic parking area.
SPEED LIMIT: The maximum speed limit is 15 mph
[CCR 4353 (a)].
CHECK-OUT TIME is noon [CCR 4456]. Please leave
site clean and on time [CCR 4310 (a) and 4456].
Check-In time is 2 p.m. or later.
FIRES AND FIREWOOD: Fires are allowed only in
established fire rings or camp stoves [CCR 4311 (a)].
Do not build ground fires outside the fire rings or
leave campfires unattended [CCR 4311]. Firewood
is available for purchase in the park. Wood
gathering in the park is prohibited [CCR 4306 (a)].
DOGS must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet
and under control at all times [CCR 4312 (e)]. They may
not be left unattended and must be inside a vehicle or
tent at night. Dogs are restricted to the campground,
picnic area and on the Cross Marin Trail/Bike Path. They
are not permitted on any other park trails or fire roads,
in the creek, or any undeveloped area [CCR 4312 (f) 1].
Noisy/vicious animals are not allowed [CCR 4312 (c)].
Please clean up after your pet.
GENERATORS: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. only [CCR 4320 (c)].
QUIET HOURS: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. [CCR 4320 (a)]
NOISE: Radios and other sound-producing devices
must not be audible beyond your immediate campsite,
regardless of the time of day or night [CCR 4320 (b)].
PLANTS/WILDLIFE: All plants are protected [CCR
4306 (a)]. Do not damage or destroy plants or trees.
Hammocks are prohibited. Poison oak is found in
nearly all areas of the park. Remember, “Leaves of
three; let them be!” Beware of ticks and yellowjacket
bees. Wild animals commonly explore campgrounds
looking for food. Please store all food in provided food
lockers or in your vehicle. Do not keep food in your
tent or sleeping area. Improper food storage and/or
feeding of wildlife could result in a citation [CCR 4323
(b)].
BICYCLES are allowed on paved roads and dirt fire
roads, but are prohibited on park trails [CCR 4360 (a)].
All riders under the age of 18, those using bicycles and
trailers, skateboards, scooters and roller skates, must
wear a helmet (CVC 21212 (a)]. Please ride safely.
CAMPING RESERVATIONS: You may make camping reservations by calling (800) 444-7275 (TTY 800-274-7275).
To make online reservations, visit our website at www.parks.ca.gov.
ALTERNATE FORMAT: If you need this publication in an alternate format,
contact interp@parks.ca.gov.
MG2
Tomales
Bay SP
Madrone
Cabins
Camp Taylor
Entrance
(15 min. only)
Dogs Allowed on Leash
Ranger Station
Picnic Area
F
Accessible Campsite
Group Campsite
r
Entrance
Station
Accessible Feature
Group Picnic Area
s D r a k e Blvd.
Bicycle Trail
Hike/Bike Campsite
Si
(5 miles), Devil’s Gulch,
Pt. Reyes and Olema
MG1
Bridge
Hiking Trail
l
Trai
Cabins
Horse Trail
Multi-Use Path
ran
ci
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Camp Taylor Area
to
Dogs prohibited on trails. Leashed dogs
allowed only on the Cross Marin Trail.
MG3
in
Cross Mar
Campfire Center
Locked Gate
Parking Area/Spur
Pioneer
Tree Trail
Campground
Parking
© 2013 California State Parks (Rev. 2016)
Dirt Road/Fire Road
Unpaved Trail
Paved Road
Pay Showers
Restrooms
Campsite Numbers
LEGEND
##
2-59
For Emergencies Dial 9-1-1.