Tallest Valley Oak: Covelo, CA

 

Tallest Valley Oak at 153 feet (above, left)

 My friend Kate invited me to go for a hike and scout out a swimming hole            located outside of of the town of Covelo, CA. I have never been to this part of      Mendocino County, and was blown away by the area's beauty. The Eel River runs alongside the highway for much of the drive.

                                               (Round Valley above)
 One of the trips highlights was seeing the country's tallest Valley Oak Tree. Before entering Round Valley, Kate mentioned that the champion oak was growing there. I had remembered seeing a picture of it online back in June but had forgotten about it. As soon as we entered the valley, BAM, there it was! It's a monster of a tree. To see it in person is really something else. You can really get a feel for the magnitude of the tree.

                                                       (Eel River)
 I hope to make a return trip next month or so to see if I can find any salmon spawning in the eel river.