Thompson Canyon
Map SatelliteA fine example of an elevational transect in an interior North Coast Range canyon is found here. The general trend of the canyon is southerly, with marked contrasts between the vegetation types of the east and west slopes. On the west slope there is a woodland with blue oak, Quercus douglasii, and gray pine, Pinus sabiniana, as the dominant vegetation. The east slope has a more mesic woodland, with the valley and interior live oaks, Quercus lobata and Quercus wislizenii, California bay, Umbellularia californica and buckeye, Aesculus californica, as the dominants. These woodlands are replaced at the higher elevations by chaparral.
The animal population is typical of the inner Coast Range. The area is a good location for the observation of fall migratory land birds.
Geologically the area is marked by the conspicuous outcrops of vertical, tilted marine sandstones deposited in the Upper Cretaceous period.
A perennial creek flows through the canyon.
Integrity: Dirt roads traverse the area, which has been fenced and lightly grazed; however, the site is intact ecologically at this time.
Use: Private
April 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman
