2019 Crescent City & Del Norte County FREE 2022
MAP
Photos by Bryant Anderson
Long before Highway 101 paved the way for 60-mph cars to blaze through Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, a narrow, one lane road brought redwood tourists in Model A’s and T’s through this stretch of rugged coastline south of Crescent City.
This relic road is one of the best bike rides in old-growth redwoods.
Now this relic road from the 1920s and ‘30s is only open to foot and bicycle traffic, providing one of the best and most secluded bike rides that can be had in old-growth redwoods in Redwood Parks. The trail is marked on Redwood Parks maps as the Last Chance section of the Coastal Trail, and it is intersected by the Damnation Creek Trail — a side hike to consider if you have time, energy and a bike lock. If you can arrange a shuttle and you’re not intimidated by a hike-and-bike adventure, then Last Chance Coastal Trail makes a great eight-mile point-to-point ride from the south end, where the trail meets 101- north to Enderts Beach Road. Park your finishing car at the Crescent Beach parking area to finish the ride with the long downhill on Enderts Beach Road. An easier and less logisticsintensive option is to bike out-and-back, still starting from the south side. The trailhead is easy to miss, a gated pull-out on the west side of the road (right side if you’re traveling from Crescent City) at post mile 15.5 on 101. The first mile of the trail is very flat followed by small drops and climbs for 3 miles until the trail crosses a bridge over Damnation Creek and the path becomes increasingly less old roadlike. This is a good spot to turnaround making for an 8-mile
total out-and-back that avoids steep climbs and descents. Continue downhill on singletrack trail avoiding the prickly blackberries sometimes growing over the trail until you reach a steep uphill climb. Turn around here for a 10-mile out-andback. Point-to-point riders continue up the steep hill that calls for walking for at least 200 yards then enjoy an amazingly fun and smooth downhill — at least until the last quarter-mile rocky section starts. Consider the side hike down to Enderts Beach on your left then continue straight to reach Enderts Beach Road.
TRAIL NOTES
❖ THE RIDE: Relatively flat, with some small hills on an old road bed until a bridge crosses Damnation Creek with steep hills ahead. There are a few out-and-back options to make this trail as long as you like. ❖ HIGHLIGHTS: Old Growthredwood seclusion, an historic road and ocean views. ❖ SWEAT LEVEL: Moderate 8-mile out-and-back by turning around at bridge. Moderate 10mile out-and-back with one big hill by turning around at steep climb. Difficult 8-mile point-topoint with uphill hike section and rocky, steep downhill before Nickel Creek. ❖ GETTING THERE: Head south on Hwy. 101 from Crescent City to post mile 15.5. Gated turnout on right.
funding provided by a grant from the California Department of Recycling and Recovery
Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority
RECYCLE DEL NORTE Recycle used motor oil and oil filters for FREE at: (See oil recycling
symbol on the map)
Del Norte County now has 3 Certified Oil Recycling Centers Del Norte County Transfer Station 1700 State St. Autozone 500 us Hwy 101 N 707-464-2201
Riding the Lost Man Creek Trail and connecting Holter Ridge Trail is another one of the few opportunities (along with Ossagon and Last Chance) for biking on a trail without cars in old-growth redwood forest. Thanks to the purchase of a former redwood mill site near the intersection of 101 and Bald Hills Road and park improvements to an old road in 2016, cyclists can now ride a 20.5 mile loop without riding
on Highway 101 at all. Use the Davison Trail section on the east side of the highway and the new improved road on the south end of Davison Trail to connect from the Lost Man Creek area to Bald Hills Road. Exclusively riding the Davison Trail and the improved road connecting to Bald Hills Road would make for an alternative easy bike ride. The trailhead is found 38 miles south of Crescent City
O’Reilly Auto Parts 905 Northcrest Dr. 707-465-6540
TRAIL NOTES
❖ THE RIDE: A steep climb and descent on a dirt logging road. Loop with Bald Hills Road and Highway 101 possible. ❖ HIGHLIGHTS: Biking through old growth redwoods and pleasant second- growth; fun descent on Lost Man Creek Trail. ❖ SWEAT LEVEL: Difficult 22-mile out-and-back due to 2,000 vertical feet climb. 20.5-mile loop possible, but be cautious biking on Highway 101. Moderate ride possible with shuttle. ❖ GETTING THERE: From Crescent City, travel 38 miles south on 101 to Lost Man Creek Picnic Area on east side of highway. Bald Hills Road meets 101 on the east side two miles further south for shuttle or doing the loop ride.
Will only accept uncontaminated oil and 40 cents/gallon or sometimes store coupons will be given upong request at time and place of drop off.
(707) 465-1100 www.recycledelnorte.ca.gov
Lots of lush old-growth redwood groves are near the bottom of the Lost Man Creek Trail.
funding provided by a grant from the California Department of Recycling and Recovery
off of Highway 101 on the east side of the road. The road leading to the parking area of Lost Man Creek picnic area is well-marked. Riders might also consider an out-and-back exclusively on Lost Man Creek Trail and Holter Ridge. The trail follows an old dirt logging road that passes through occasional stretches of old-growth redwoods, although the best groves are near the beginning.