Spyrock Reserve is a nature preserve with five miles of frontage on the National Wild and Scenic Eel River.[2][3] Its namesake, Spy Rock, is a 540-foot promontory above the river and a landmark for Eel River travelers.[2][4] It is part of the Eel River Emerald Necklace, a series of preserves along the Eel River.[5][3] The 5,832 acres (2,360ha) reserve is owned and managed by The Wildlands Conservancy as part of its system of preserves.[2]
Spyrock Reserve is located along the Eel River in Mendocino County, California. The preserve includes oak woodlands, grasslands, fir stands, and two perennial creeks.[2][3] It lies 10.5 miles downstream from Dos Rios, where the river’s main and middle forks join.[6]
Flora and fauna
The reserve includes riverine and riparian habitats typical of the Eel River canyon. These support fish populations such as salmon and steelhead trout, together with associated wildlife along the river corridor.[2][3]
History
The property was acquired in 2005 as part of The Wildlands Conservancy’s Eel River Emerald Necklace initiative.[2][5]
Conservation
Spyrock Reserve anchors the upper segment of the Eel River Emerald Necklace, a landscape-scale conservation effort intended to protect habitat along the river corridor.[5][3] The preserve safeguards riparian habitat for salmon and steelhead and contributes to wildlife connectivity in the Eel River canyon.[2] Together with Eel River Canyon Preserve and Emerald Waters Reserve, it is managed as part of a larger block of protected lands by the conservancy.[5]
Recreation
There is no public land access to the preserve. The Eel River provides opportunities for rafting, and the reserve can be viewed from the river corridor.[5]
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