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] 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.[3] The
California Coastal Conservancy is providing staff for the agency since they have decades experience with the
California Coastal Trail.[4] 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.[5]: 4 The first completed segment of the trail was celebrated by State Senator
Mike McGuire in Ukiah in February 2020.[6] 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.[7][8] A section in the
city of Willits is being planned.[9] The trail will pass through the
Eel River Canyon Preserve which includes the Grand Canyon of the
Wild and Scenic Eel River, home to dozens of endangered species and rare wildlife.[10][11] The trail alignment through the
Eel River will be challenging due to erosive geology and some failing infrastructure, including tunnels, bridges, and trestles.[12]: 3 The project also has to deal with private property owners on either side of the trail right-of-way.[13] Two or three years of public meetings will be held before the master plan is released.[4] The Wailaki tribe has voiced opposition to the trail.[14]
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.[15] As a result of the
Great Recession of 2008, 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.[16] A number of segments are being constructed in partnership with local jurisdictions.[17] 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.[18]