When you enter Walker Road (off of Highway 199) you encounter a beautiful dirt and gravel road that runs through the redwoods that is very pleasing to the eye. If you follow the road as it forks to the right it will lead you to the Smith River.
As you walk down the stones to the waters’ edge, there are many things you can see such as frogs, toads, deer, snakes, mice, osprey, dragonflies, fish and even water spiders.
The frogs are likely to be sitting right at the water’s edge ready to hop in and away the second they see you. However, if you don’t make any noise or let them see your shadow, you might be able to get closer without one hopping off.
Although they are still interesting little critters as you view them on land, the water is the other half of the frog’s natural habitat and also the habitat where they move most gracefully. As opposed to their frantic hopping about on land, they fluidly swim through the water with ease. They also have special membranes similar to an eyelid that covers their eyes as they swim, allowing them to see clearly under water and hunt all variations of water life.
Toads are also a critter that you have a chance to find on shore. At certain times of year you may even see piles of baby toads huddled up for safety, that is if you can tell them apart from the sand and rocks. Or you may see a larger adult toad sitting in a moist spot somewhere waiting for food to pass by. Toads can burrow into dirt and sand to make a home, though not nearly as deep as a gopher. However in some areas, toads have been known to crawl into an empty gopher hole and call it home.
Snakes are yet another thing you have a chance to view at Walker Road. Water snakes are amazing little guys that have taken a semi-amphibious turn to life. They are like little garter snakes that swim underwater to hunt small fish, water bugs of all types, tadpoles and small toads. Even frogs make up a large part of their diet. On top of water hunting they are also land hunters and eat a wide menagerie of small land creatures. Water snakes are also pretty fun to catch and are completely harmless, but that does not mean the snake will thank you for bothering them and typically will “skunk” you. This is a defensive reflex that covers whatever part of you is touching the snake with a VERY stinky hormone-based fluid meant to repel predators. However, this fluid does come out of the rear end of the snake adding to the gross factor. The snake, in its displeasure, may also bite you.
Yet another living thing you have a chance to see are lizards, as surprising as it sounds. Lizards will pop up in the hottest part of summer mostly and at higher elevations where it is warmer. You can hear them skittering off in the grass when they see you. Lizards are found in hot places because their digestion depends on being warm. They cannot generate their own heat so they bask in the hot sun to regulate their body temperature, which is where you are likely to find them. On Walker Road, lizards are often found on the rocks sunning themselves or looking for bugs in the grass. They are hard to catch as they dart through the grass and under rocks. I can’t count the times I’ve seen a predator sit there, frustrated, trying to catch one of these fast little guys or get a face full of dirt due to literally not looking before they leap.
Water spiders are the last, but not least, thing I would like to tell you about. I find water spiders to be especially interesting. One of the neatest things about them is their ability to walk on water, which is accomplished with many tiny hairs that cause something called surface tension. These spiders are a type of ground spider that does not make a web to catch prey. Instead, it ambushes its food by sitting and waiting in one place very patiently. They can even catch small water prey with the same method. These fuzzy little spiders are sometimes hard to see as they are the same light gray color of the rocks at Walker Road. They are nonetheless fun to watch.
These are a mere few of the many living things that can be found at Walker Road if you have the patience to look. Though Walker Road is an amazing swimming and family area, sometimes it pays to take some time to enjoy the little things in life. You may be surprised at what you find.
Trail Notes below are courtesy of Richard Weins and the Del Norte Triplicate:
THE HIKE: A 2.2-mile double-loop through old-growth redwoods off of Walker Road north of U.S. Highway 199. Start on Leiffer Trial, then make a series of right turns onto Leiffer Loop, Ellsworth Loop and eventually back to Leiffer Trail.
HIGHLIGHTS: A giant walk-through redwood stump in the middle of the trail. Numerous benches, some at the end of short side trails, with philosophical engravings left behind by preservationists.
SWEAT LEVEL: Some moderately strenuous climbs at the start of each loop, and a few newly fallen small trees to pick your way through in a couple of spots.
GETTING THERE: From Crescent City, drive north on U.S. Highway 101, then east for almost 3 miles on Highway 199. Turn north on Walker Road, drive just under a mile, veer left at a fork, then drive another half-mile to the trailhead for Leiffer Trail, which is on your left. There’s a small parking area, but the trailhead sign is set far back from the road and easy to miss. On the way there or back, you might enjoy a few short side trails off of Walker Road.
