Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area

Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area is the southern gateway to the world-famous redwood belt along California’s North Coast. About 10 miles of trails weave through its steep canyon bluffs, second-growth forests, and clusters of old-growth redwoods. The tallest redwood, the 225-foot Captain Miles Standish Tree, is more than 1,200 years old. A two-mile stretch of the South Fork of the Eel River—with riffles, deep holes, and calm shallow areas—is popular with swimmers, kayakers, and anglers.

The park began as a 40-acre campground donated in 1922. Its name honors a lumberman’s son, Edward Ritter Hickey, who died while caring for victims of the 1918 flu epidemic. In the late 1950s, descendants of Captain Miles Standish, a pilgrim who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620, added 500 acres. Subsequent donations from Save the Redwoods League have expanded the park to more than 1,000 acres.

A 180-mile drive from San Francisco, Standish-Hickey lies along Highway 101, 1½ miles north of the town of Leggett. The park entrance road is easy to find and paved to accommodate any street-legal vehicle. High water (and removal of seasonal bridges) makes much of the park, including hiking trails, inaccessible in winter, but at least one campground is always open. 

Weather

This inland river canyon has summer temperatures averaging 70 - 100°F. Winter temperatures vary from 30 - 55°F. Rainfall averages 70 inches each year.

Rules & Advisories

• No diving or jumping into the river. Stay away from steep and dangerous bluffs.
• No lifeguards are on duty; children should be supervised at all times.
• Contact with poison oak (even when dormant) can cause a severe rash.
• Bicycles and motorbikes are allowed on paved roads, but not park trails.
• Hunting and loaded firearms are prohibited.
• Eight people are the maximum allowed at any one (non-group) campsite. 
• All fires must be in fire rings. No collection of firewood is allowed.
• Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Dogs must be on a leash no more than six feet long and must be confined to a tent or vehicle at night. Except for service animals, pets are not allowed on trails.  Dog owners may not want to let their dogs drink from the river, as a precaution against blue-green algae toxins.
• All the normal rules of the road apply in the park, including speed limits (15 mph in the park), prohibitions on driving while intoxicated, and requirements for seatbelts, helmets, and driver’s licenses. 
• All park features are protected by law and must not be disturbed or removed.
  

Location/ Directions

1.5 miles north of Leggett, CA on Highway 101.

Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
Inland river canyon.
Summer 70-100 degrees F.
Winter 30-55 degrees F.
Dress for rain in layers.