MENDOCINO Co., 1/22/20 — A ceremony with local notables and State Senator Mike McGuire will be held Jan. 31 in Ukiah, to mark the opening of a short stretch of trail in Ukiah, that will one day, it is hoped, form a portion of a future Great Redwood Trail. That trail is an ambitious public project which aims to create a 300 mile long recreational mixed-use trail from the San Francisco Bay Area to Eureka. Upon completion, the Great Redwood Trail would include some urban and suburban stretches, likely with bike and foot paths, as well as a lengthy wilderness section that would pass from Cloverdale, or Willits, to Eureka, along the right-of-way that previously carried the Northern Railroad.
The opening event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony including State Senator Mike McGuire, who sponsored the state legislation that initiated the project, along with Ukiah officials, followed by refreshments and a bike ride along the trail with the Ukiah Valley Trail Group. The ceremony in Ukiah will be held Friday January 31, at 12 p.m., at the corner of Clara and Mason Street in Ukiah. More information can be found at the event’s Facebook page.
Though the there is not yet a central authority planning the trail, smaller municipalities along the path have begun planning and construction short portions of trail that may one day connect together. Here in Mendocino County this includes the Ukiah Valley Trail Group, who have been working on trail improvements including planting native grasses along the route.
For more information on the Great Redwood Trail, watch a presentation from June, 2018 by McGuire during a town hall in Ukiah, including updates from local officials, or see our ongoing coverage at this link. The project also has a dedicated Facebook page and website so you can track progress through multiple counties.
Sounds great ON PAPER, but in reaity, a trail through the Eel River Canyon is VERY problematic.
1)…Inaccessibility from Dos Rios to Southfork for fire, police, and medical emergencies
2)…No cell phone service in this remote & rugged area, so IF there is an emergency, you’re SOL
3)…If there is an emergency, and clouds, fog, forest fire smoke, and or storms prevent a chopper from responding, who will respond & how…the river runs 76 miles through this section (53 miles as a crow flies)…there are NO roads…even the old railroad access roads are often washed out & impassible.
4)…Portapotties every 10 miles, or less..? Private property owners don’t want people going to the bathroom on their land.
5)…Private land owners, don’t want people trespassing on their land & camping.
6)…Where humans go, also goes a very increased chance of a wildfires being started in this very inaccessible area
7)…who is going to administer this scheme that involves several jurisdictions & govt agencies..?
8)…Who is going to maintain the trails, bathrooms / portapottie’s, empty garbage cans..?
The Eel River Canyon is a very rugged area, almost in a wilderness state because it IS so rugged & hard for humans to access…and sooner or later humans will screw it up IF a trail goes through this land of many rock & land slides.
Better to take a coastal route for a trail, NOT the Eel River Canyon.
Doesn’t sound like you went to the meeting in Ukiah where all these issues were discussed…