WHERE HISSSSTORY COMES TO LIFE.^SM

Mountain man Isaac Graham settled here in the 1830s. Soon after, Mexican authorities named Graham’s wild settlement “Roaring Camp.”

Above: Original depot under construction in the early 1950’s.

In 1842, Graham established the first saw mill west of the Mississippi. Fortunately, the Big Trees here were spared the woodman’s axe, and 25 years later became the first virgin stand of coastal redwoods to be protected from logging.

The area’s first railroad, the Santa Cruz & Felton, began carrying tourists to the Big Trees and the beach in 1875. In 2003, the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge RR celebrated its Ruby Anniversary (40 years) and the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific RY has been operating along the 1875 Santa Cruz & Felton route since 1985.

The dream of preserving a piece of the 1880s and early California was the dream of Roaring Camps Founder F. Norman Clark. Tragically in December 1985, Norman Clark passed away of pneumonia resulting from his selfless work to open the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway. His wife, Georgiana, the longtime Vice President of Operations was elected chief executive office by the respective board and continues in that role today.

Roaring Camp CEO Georgiana Clark

Georgiana continues her husband’s life’s work, solidifying the business, restoring historic engines and rolling stock, expanding group and corporate sales and overseeing the development of a major event facility called Bret Harte. We’d like to share with you, in Georgiana’s own words why for the past 40 years visitors from around the world have visited Roaring Camp.

Georgiana Clark interview on Forbes Radio
(988 K, requires Windows Media Player)