Great Redwood Trail

Great Redwood Trail
Ukiah portion of Great Redwood Trail in 2020
Length320 miles (510 km) (proposed)
Usecycling, pedestrians, equestrians
Right of wayNorthwestern Pacific Railroad, Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit
WebsiteOfficial website

The Great Redwood Trail is a proposed multi-use rail-to-trail project connecting San Francisco and Humboldt bays in Northern California. Most of the trail will be built on the rail bed of the defunct Northwestern Pacific Railroad along the Eel River Canyon by the Great Redwood Trail Agency.[1] The southern portion will be built by Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) along their commuter rail line.[2][3] The trail route is within 5 counties, 14 cities and the ancestral territory of many tribes. Some portions have already constructed by local jurisdictions with more being developed in cooperation with local governments.

The Great Redwood Trail Agency was established in March 2022. The agency took over management of the railroad corridor from the North Coast Railroad Authority to begin preparing a master plan to develop the trail.[4] The California Coastal Conservancy is providing staff for the agency since they have decades experience with the California Coastal Trail.[5] Situated in Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt Counties, the route passes through the cities of Novato, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Ukiah, Willits, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Eureka, Arcata, and Blue Lake.[6]: 4 

The trail will pass through the Eel River Canyon Preserve, a property owned and managed by The Wildlands Conservancy.[7] The trail alignment through the Eel River will be challenging due to erosive geology and some failing infrastructure, including tunnels, bridges, and trestles.[8]: 3  In 2024, the California Coastal Conservancy authorized funding for a planning project led by The Wildlands Conservancy to support development of an approximately 11-mile segment of the trail along the Eel River in Trinity and Humboldt counties.[9]

The first completed segment of the trail was celebrated by State Senator Mike McGuire in Ukiah in February 2020.[10] The city approved the construction of the final trail segment for the entire 3-mile length (4.8 km) within the city in September 2021.[11][12] A section in the city of Willits is being planned.[13]

The project also has to deal with private property owners on either side of the trail right-of-way.[14] Two or three years of public meetings will be held before the master plan is released.[5] The Wailaki tribe has voiced opposition to the trail.[15]

The project was featured in a 2024 episode of OpenRoad with Doug McConnell, which examined northern segments of the proposed trail, including both urban areas near Humboldt Bay and remote stretches along the Eel River.[16]

In Sonoma and Marin Counties

This section is an excerpt from Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit § Bicycle and pedestrian pathway.[edit]

In the original sales tax expenditure plan, $90 million was allocated for a bike/pedestrian path along the line for recreation and to enhance connections between stations and the developing network of bicycle-pedestrian pathways.[17] Due to the Great Recession, SMART changed its plans for the construction of the bicycle-pedestrian pathway as well as the rail project. Current SMART pathway construction focuses on bridging gaps between existing bicycle-pedestrian pathways, providing access to stations and serving potential high-use areas.[18] A number of segments are being constructed in partnership with local jurisdictions.[19] For example, SMART has obtained a grant for pathway construction in Rohnert Park and is seeking grants to fund additional segments. As of February 2019, 16.2 miles (26.1 km) was completed, with the majority of funding coming from local jurisdictions.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Abandoned North Coast Rail Line Set To Become More Than 300 Miles Of Trail". KPIX 5. March 14, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "McGuire: Great Redwood Trail Agency holds first meeting this week". Ukiah Daily Journal. March 18, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022 – via MSN.
  3. ^ Seidman, Lila (April 6, 2024). "An old rail track in Northern California could become a 300-mile hiking trail". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Mintz, Daniel (April 21, 2022). "Hunerlach named to lead Redwood Trail". Mad River Union. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Guilfoil, Jackson (February 15, 2022). "California Coastal Conservancy to manage Great Redwood Trail project". Eureka Times-Standard. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  6. ^ Great Redwood Trail | Feasibility, Governance, and Railbanking Report (PDF) (Report). California State Parks. July 2020.
  7. ^ "Financier's Northern California Ranch to Become Public Park". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Great Redwood Trail | Staff Recommendation (PDF) (Report). Coastal Conservancy. May 5, 2022.
  9. ^ "Coastal Conservancy Public Meeting in Oakland – November 21". California Coastal Conservancy. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  10. ^ Frederiksen, Justine (February 1, 2020). "The Great Redwood Trail: 'It all started in Ukiah'". The Ukiah Daily Journal. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Hartzell, Frank (July 2, 2021). "$16.5 million appropriated for Great Redwood trail; McGuire announces trail will get signs this summer, touts fire safety". The Mendocino Voice. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Frederiksen, Justine (September 17, 2021). "Despite mysterious coal plan, Ukiah City Council OKs next phase of Rail Trail". The Ukiah Daily Journal. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. ^ "Willits Rail Trail discussed at community meeting". The Ukiah Daily Journal. March 25, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Request For Services: Great Redwood Trail Master Plan And Community Outreach Program (Report). California State Coastal Conservancy. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Wailaki Tribe Submits Resolution to Oppose the Great Redwood Trail" (Press release). White Lily Clan of the Wailaki. October 20, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2025 – via Redheaded Blackbelt.
  16. ^ "A sneak peek of the Great Redwood Trail". OpenRoad. Episode 99. July 22, 2024. NBC Bay Area. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  17. ^ "SMART White Paper #8: SMART is both Rail and Trail" (PDF). February 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2010.
  18. ^ "SMART Train & Pathway". Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  19. ^ Kovner, Guy (June 10, 2018). "North Coast's 'Great Redwood Trail' wins approval in California Senate, but lacks funding". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  20. ^ Brown, Matt (February 18, 2019). "SMART eyes new funding for Petaluma bike path extension". Argus–Courrier. Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
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