Take a step back in time for a magical ride through the ancient California Redwoods on the World-Famous Skunk Train!🦨🚂 The Skunk Train will take you on a 7 mile, 1 hour scenic ride over the first tracks laid down by the California Western Railroad!

Skunk Train

📍 100 W Laurel St, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
📞 (707) 964-6371
🖥 https://www.skunktrain.com/
💲Ticket Prices: Adults $41.95, Children (Ages 2-12) $25.95, Infants (Ages 2 and under) $10.95, Dogs $10.95
⏱ Open 9:00AM – 3:00PM Daily

The tour departs from their Fort Bragg depot and is the perfect way to spend a morning or afternoon! It’s totally family friendly and they even allow dogs on board too!🐶

🌟Important🌟

During Covid-19, face masks are mandatory and you need to maintain a social distancing of 6 ft at all times at their depot and while on board the train.

We took the Pudding Creek Express which will take you on a winding route through redwood trees and along the beautiful Pudding Creek Estuary. This is their most popular train ride, although they do have a second train that goes on a scenic journey that will take you down into the Noyo River Canyon. (See trains departing from Willits on their website.)

You’re probably wondering how the Skunk Train got its name, right? The nickname “Skunk” came from the combination of fumes that created a very pungent odor. The old-timers living along the line back then used to say the motorcars were like skunks, “You could smell them before you could see them.” And that’s how the Skunk Train came about!😅

There’s plenty of seating inside the train and out, and they have limited the amount of tickets that they sell at this time to ensure social distancing. There’s also a food stand on board with beers and snacks. I even got to try their unique skunk beer!🦨🍻

The Skunk Train took us deep into the redwoods and we got to see so many beautiful trees!🌲😍

Halfway through the train stops at Glen Blair Junction, where you can get off and stretch your legs or hang out in the picnic area and relax! Feel free to bring a packed lunch if you want to enjoy it here!🥪🥤

You’ll have about 45 minutes before the train leaves to bring you back. You can hang out here or there’s also a nice hiking trail where you can explore deeper into the Redwoods! Of course, we decided to go walk the hiking trail and explore more!🥾🙌🏼

The hiking trail was really nice. We saw a lot more redwood trees and such pretty lush greenery all around us. We kept saying it felt like we were in Jurassic Park!😍🌿

It was a short hike but the views from the top of the hill were so beautiful, we could see everything from up there!🤩🙌🏼

And for those of you that want to try something a little more adventurous, the Skunk Train also offers a unique Railbikes Excursion! We were lucky enough to be able to have both experiences. This was our first time ever on Railbikes and I can honestly say it was one of the highlights of our Mendocino trip! It is a bit pricey but SO worth it!🤩🙌🏼

Railbikes

📍 100 W Laurel St, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
📞 (707) 964-6371
🖥 https://www.skunktrain.com/
💲Ticket Price: $250/person
⏱ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Daily

For those worried about Covid-19 and being around others, there’s no need to worry because the Railbikes are naturally socially distanced and everyone wears masks during the ride!🙌🏼

There’s a metal basket attached to the front of the Railbikes to put any belongings you may have with you while you ride. They also offer a dog trailer if you want to take your little furry friend along, you can add that for $30 extra!🐶 (150lb weight limit)

The Railbikes go along the same World-Famous Redwood Route as the Skunk Train, just from a different perspective!

Their custom-built Railbikes are two-passenger carts and are electric-powered! So there are pedals like a regular bike, but you don’t need to do much work. And there’s no need to steer either, just let the railroad guide you! Before getting onto the Railbikes we were thinking it was going to be a bit of a workout, but to our surprise riding them was a breeze!💨 It was so nice that we were really able to live in the moment and take in the gorgeous scenery around us. It also made capturing photos during our ride so much easier!

During your Railbikes excursion, you’ll stop at the same picnic area where you can either hang out or journey on foot deeper into the Redwoods!

It was such a gorgeous day and we had so much fun on the Railbikes! It was definitely a unique way to explore Northern California!😍🙌🏼

When you get back to the depot in Fort Bragg, make sure to stop in the gift shop! They have so many awesome souvenirs, from Skunk Train t-shirts and hats to just about anything you can think of!

They even have a kids corner with tons of cute things like little conductor hats and overalls, and stuffed animal skunks. They were adorable!🤗

Tips for the Railbikes:

Dress appropriately (casual/athleisure attire, bring a jacket if it’s chilly, they run rain or shine!)
Wear close-toed shoes/sneakers
Bring water, gotta stay hydrated!
Bring a mask, they are required!
Pack a lunch to have at their picnic area
Bring your camera, you’ll want to take lots of pictures!📸

If you’re looking for something fun to do in the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area the Skunk Train has got you covered! It’s the perfect weekend activity and is truly a different kind of experience that everyone can enjoy. Like I said, the Railbikes Excursion was the highlight of our whole trip! This is one thing that should be on everyone’s California bucketlist!🚂🙌🏼