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 High Dome Trail overlooking Smith River National Recreation Area, northwest California |
| Return to Smith River National Recreation Area | |
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High Dome Trail overlooking Smith River National Recreation Area, northwest California |
| Return to Smith River National Recreation Area | |
High Dome
Trail, California
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The
High Dome Trail is a relatively short trail about a mile in length
that takes you to a meadow of ferns overlooking Smith River National
Recreation Area and the northwest California Klamath Mountains. A
short spur trail takes you on a side trip to a high point that was
once used for a fire lookout.
The
High Dome Trail (picture right) to the fern covered meadows is about
3/4 mile in length and is relatively level except for some sections
that climb steeply for a short distance. As you approach the meadows
a short trail goes off to the left and climbs to a ridge that was
once used as a fire lookout. After the intersection with the lookout
trail, the High Dome Trail begins to go down hill. Continue down the
trail for a short distance and look for the trail to the meadows on
the right. Walk about 300 feet through the forest to the edge of the
meadows. There is no trail beyond this point.
If
you look closely at the soil of the High Dome Meadow you will see
small particles that glint in the sun. These are mostly flakes of
mica, which is not common to most rocks in this region. The large
boulders in the meadow provides a good example of the type of rock
that this sandy, mica laced soil comes from. These rocks are made up
of a type of rock called diorite, a rock that is peppered with white
and black crystals. These rocks, like many others in the
region, were formed when molten magma worked its way up into the
surrounding rock. Over a long period of time, this molten material
slowly cooled and crystallized forming these rocks that are salt and
peppered with white and black crystals. Diorite tends to break
down into to sand and one of the minerals that is released by the
rock is mica.