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Oakland's Last Old-Growth Redwood: A Gnarled Survivor
1 Feb
Summary
- Old Survivor is an ancient redwood, nearly 500 years old, in Oakland.
- Its crooked appearance and rocky location saved it from 19th-century loggers.
- Climate change and wildfires pose new threats to the resilient tree.
In Oakland's Leona Heights Park stands Old Survivor, a nearly 500-year-old coast redwood, the last of its kind in the city. This ancient tree, standing 93 feet tall, miraculously escaped the extensive logging that decimated Oakland's once-giant redwoods in the 19th century. Its survival is credited to its difficult-to-access location on a boulder and steep slope, making harvesting a challenge.
Furthermore, Old Survivor's gnarly, burls-covered trunk made it aesthetically undesirable for the high-quality lumber sought by loggers building San Francisco. Rediscovered in 1969, its age was then estimated at over 400 years. Today, this resilient icon faces new environmental challenges, including increased wildfire risk due to modern fire suppression tactics, threatening its ecosystem.
While direct trails to Old Survivor are intentionally absent to protect its habitat, its top is visible from Campus Drive. This solitary redwood serves as a powerful reminder of the magnificent, towering trees that once characterized the East Bay hills.
