The Standish Tree greets park visitors today but was also an impressive tree when the Sinkyone hunter-gatherer people inhabited the area in ancient times. The entire region was extensively logged in the late 1800s and early 1900s, almost to the point of clearing every last redwood. This preserve started as a small 40-acre campground on donated land in 1922. Multiple other donations over the years have increased the preserve's current size to over 1,000 acres of old-growth and second-growth forests. The South Fork of the Eel River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, snakes for two miles through a wide canyon in the center of the park and provides ample recreation opportunities. Standish-Hickey SRA is also home to black bears, river otters, mountain lions, and foxes. Numerous birds soar high above and roost in the trees, including bald eagles, osprey, and herons.