IOS Tour of California

The Tour will begin in Davis and the first section of the trip will focus on Northern California, visiting the North Coast Ranges and Northern Sierra Nevada mountain range. We will then travel down to Southern California, visiting botanical gardens in the Los Angeles area, spending a day on Catalina Island, and finally exploring the oak diversity of San Diego County (see itinerary below).

Deadline for registration: July 31, 2024

Tour leader Sean Hogan has designed an itinerary that takes in a large part California's oak diversity. Local experts will guide us during the days in San Diego County, and the Catalina Island Conservancy will receive us on Catalina Island. The itinerary is summarized below and and outlined in a map. If you think this trip might be of interest to you, please get in touch with us at tours@internationaloaksociety.org.

The IOS is grateful to the following institutions for their support of this Tour:

Itinerary

Day 0: Friday, September 13

Arrive in Davis. Late afternoon visit to Shields Oak Grove at UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, hosted by Emily Griswold, Director of GATEways Horticulture and Teaching Gardens, UC Davis

Accommodation: Davis

Day 1: Saturday, September 14

Travel: North on Highway 20 toward Walker Ridge

Activities: Visit Wilbur Springs, Walker Ridge

Oak species to see: Q. palmeri (northernmost population), Q. berberidifolia, Q. lobata, Q. douglasii, several hybrids

Accommodation: Lakeport

Day 2: Sunday, September 15

Travel: via Snow Mountain to Willows

Activities: Visit Snow Mountain

Oak species to see: giant Q. lobata, northernmost Q. agrifolia, Q. wislizeni, Q. kelloggii, Q. ×morehus, Q. ×ganderi, Q. garryana var. breweri, Q. berberidifolia, Q. durata, Q. berberidifolia

Accommodation: Willows

Day 3: Monday, September 16

Travel: south towards Sacramento, then Foresthill and Auburn

Activities: Visit Foresthill and continue east to the northernmost Sequoiadendron giganteum population

Oak species to see: Q. berberidifolia, Q. wislizeni, Q. chrysolepis, Notholithocarpus densiflorus, Q. vacciniifolia

Accommodation: Auburn

Day 4: Tuesday, September 17

Travel: south toward Los Angeles

Activities: some stops on the way

Accommodation: Pasadena

Day 5: Wednesday, September 18

Travel: gardens nearby.

Activities: visit Huntington Botanical Gardens and Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Oak species to see: oak collections in the gardens

Accommodation: Pasadena

Day 6: Thursday, September 19

Travel: to Claremont and south to Long Beach

Activities: visit California Botanic Garden, Mount Baldy (San Gabriel Mountains)

Oak species to see: oak collections at CBG

Accommodation: Long Beach

Day 7: Friday, September 20

Travel: Catalina Express Ferry to and from Catalina Island

Activities: Tour Catalina Island with Catalina Island Conservancy

Oak species to see: Q. pacifica, Q. tomentella

Accommodation: Long Beach 

Day 8: Saturday, September 21

Travel: south to Encinitas, then to eastern San Diego County

Activities: visit San Diego Botanic Garden and nearby areas of interest in San Diego County, guided by local oak expert Fred Roberts

Oak species to see (also on Day 9): Q. agrifolia var. oxyadenia, Q. berberidifolia, Q. chrysolepis, Q. cornelius-mulleri, Q. dumosa, Q. durata, Q. engelmannii, Q. kelloggii, Q. wislizeni var. frutescens, , Q. ×acutidens, Q. ×morehus

Accommodation: east San Diego County (TBD)

Day 9: Sunday, September 22

Travel: eastern San Diego County, then return to San Diego

Activities: field trip to see oaks of San Diego County, guided by Fred Roberts (Volcan Mountain County Preserve, Santa Ysabel Preserve, etc.)

Oak species to see: see Day 8

End of tour for those not participating in the trip to Otay Mountains, guided by a team from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

For those continuing:

Accommodation: San Diego

Day 10: Monday, September 23 (extra optional day)

Travel: to Otay Mountains and return to San Diego

Activities: visit Otay Mountains Wilderness

Oak species to see: Q. cedrosensis

End of tour!

 

Map of Itinerary

---

_{Tour itinerary updated April 16, 2024}