New Interpretive Sign on the Stile Ranch Trail, 9/11/21 by Ronald Horii
I heard from one of the rangers that there was a new interpretive sign on the Stile Ranch Trail. I had to see it, so I went for a hike on the trail. I went the long way, starting from the Stile Ranch/Fortini Trail entrance in the Almaden Valley. See the first picture for the shortest way to get there. The sign is about serpentine rocks and the unique habitats they produce. Santa Teresa Park has lots of serpentine soil, as does many nearby parks and preserves. Where there is serpentine, there is usually an abundance of native plants and flowers. The Stile Ranch Trail is one of the best wildflower trails in the County Parks. See here for examples: https://tinyurl.com/vuwukhkw

Here's the County Parks' guide to serpentine and wildflowers: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Documents/Wildflowers-of-the-Serpentine-Realm.pdf

For a guide to the Stile Ranch Trail and other park links, see: https://tinyurl.com/nprs4sdr 
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Roger Charles Delight
The serpentine territory near Shingle Springs/Cameron Park off hwy 50 in the foothills east of Sacto has proven to be productive of gold, chromium, etc, but also minerals yielding much microfiber and such which can cause lung disease.
Soil is indelible red!
2 yrsReport