MENDOCINO CO., 3/13/25 – The New York Times named the Skunk Train one of the most “spectacular North American train trips” on Thursday.
Journalist Michael Harmon describes the Skunk Train’s scenery as “Redwood Country” — a gentler shift from the more industrialist “Redwood Empire” locals lean towards.
The Willits route gets a shout out for its old growth redwoods, while Harmon touts the more popular Fort Bragg Pudding Creek Express route for its hiking and rail-biking options.
Harmon also recommends the Glen Blair Bar, an evening excursion out of Fort Bragg that includes a train trip culminating in cocktails, firepits and live music at a redwood barn just feet from where the Skunk Train’s tunnel collapsed in 2013, severing the railway’s connection to Willits.
The mention comes as the Skunk Train continues to have a love-hate relationship with locals in Fort Bragg.
On Tuesday, the Fort Bragg City Council voted to pause its lawsuit against Mendocino Railway, the owner of the Skunk Train, regarding the railway’s proposed development of the Georgia Pacific oceanside mill site. It’s one of the many lawsuits between the city and the railway over the years.
Not bad for a recently declared “freight” railroad that wants to manufacture a new revenue source via eminent domaining local citizens out of their land and torpedoing the great redwood trail.
You do know the Mill Site and the residential property by the train tracks are the only properties they acquired through the eminent domain process and both of those landowners not only consented to the purchases of their land but they requested it due to tax benefits they wouldn’t have enjoyed through a “normal” land sale, right? That hardly sounds like stealing…
How exactly is the skunk train “torpedoing the great redwood trail just curious.
I don’t understand why both Willits and Fort Bragg don’t do more to promote the Skunk Train. Even before we moved to Willits from the S.F. Bay Area over 30 years ago, the Skunk Train and pot growing were the only things our acquaintances knew about the area.
Can’t wait for the Pomo casino and luxury hotel to fill the headlands! Let’s go!
I rode the train in the mid 1970’s from Willits to Fort Bragg. Stayed over night, had a nice dinner in town etc. Very lovely ride, beautiful. Sad they cant get money to repair the tunnel and have the full track available again It would really re vitalize both towns
Mark J,
Oh they got they got the money to make the repairs from the Fed Government. $31 million of it I think. The question is where did it go? Chris Hart claims he is going to fix the tunnel…any…day…now. Meanwhile the rest of the 40 miles are rapidly falling apart. It used to be a magical excursion to Northspur where you could eat, have a beer and listen to music. Now it’s a train to nowhere. Deliver freight? By what, railbike? These guys are straight out grifters.