BLM Dispatch #30 - King Range National Conservation Area - Part 3
Here in the King Range, the seasons determine what kind of landscape you’re going to encounter.
From October to April, one storm follows another, and together they bring more than a hundred inches of rain, turning the land into a soaked ribbon of rainforest green. Hiking trails are muddy, bloated tributaries cascade westerly through the woods to find the perennial creeks that run into the sea, and celebrity fungi and mushrooms like earpick and lion’s mane sprout in gratitude.
From late spring through early fall, the King Range enters a dry season marked by clear skies, parched hillsides, and dusty trails. Coastal fog often drifts inland in the mornings, briefly softening the drought, but by afternoon the air turns warm and brittle. Streams shrink or vanish into gravel beds, and the coastal prairie take on a muted gold.
Scenes from the southern end of the range…
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