The Long Way
Mendocino County
Two women ride on the back platform of a train traveling through a redwood forest.
Plate I. Passengers aboard the Skunk Train. From skunktrain.com
A scenic view of a river and forest from a passenger train.
Plate II. Skunk Train rounding a curve in the forest. From skunktrain.com
People ride rail bikes on a track through a forest.
Plate III. Railbikes on the Skunk Train tracks. From ukiahdailyjournal.com
Two people ride a recumbent bicycle on a trail through a redwood forest.
Plate IV. Railbikes on the Skunk Train tracks. From skunktrain.com
Historic black and white photo of a car crossing a rustic wooden bridge in a dense forest.
Plate V. Historic bridge, Skunk Train right-of-way. From skunktrain.com
A red diesel locomotive stands behind a field of pumpkins with people nearby.
Plate VI. Locomotive and pumpkins, Skunk Train. From skunktrain.com
A red passenger train travels along a mountain railway surrounded by dense forests.
Plate VII. Skunk Train traveling through the forest. From skunktrain.com

Skunk Train (California Western Railroad)

Mendocino County, California.

Details

Where
Mendocino County, CA. No street address stated. Directions
When
Year-round; guests should arrive 30 minutes prior to departure.
Season
Pudding Creek Express departs year-round from Fort Bragg.
Access
Trains and Railbikes run rain or shine. Always dress appropriately. Wheelchair accessible. Some cars might require switching from your chair to a coach seat.
Walk-in or reserve
Round trip tickets returning from Glen Blair Junction are good on any train running that day. Reservations are only necessary for the first departure purchased.

Notable Events

  1. 1885By 1885 the Fort Bragg Railroad was formed to make transporting lumber easier, forming the foundation of the California Western Railroad. skunktrain.com
  2. 1885The Skunk Train began operation, with the first railroad equipment arriving in Fort Bragg by ship. skunktrain.com
  3. 1904Passenger service for the Skunk Train started in 1904, but it did not reach Willits until 1911. skunktrain.com
  4. 1911In 1911 the train finally reached Willits, reducing travel time significantly. skunktrain.com
  5. 1925Motorcars with gasoline engines and crude-oil stoves were introduced; the fumes' pungent odor led old timers along the line to say you could smell them before you could see them. skunktrain.com
  6. 1959National Geographic featured an article on the Skunk Train in May 1959; the name The Friendly Train Called Skunk gained popularity and stuck. skunktrain.com
  7. 1960sArizona-based Kyle Railways began managing the railroad. skunktrain.com
  8. 1987Kyle Railways purchased the California Western Railroad. skunktrain.com
  9. 1996A group comprised entirely of local Mendocino Coast investors purchased California Western, the first time in its 111-year history the line would be operated as an independent business. skunktrain.com
  10. 2002The Union Lumber Mill, the heart of the town, closed; the Skunk had relied on freight for much of its revenue, which was lost with the mill. mendovoice.com

People

  • C.R. Johnson, lumberman who joined with others to expand timber operations in Mendocino County (early 1880s).
  • Calvin Stewart, lumberman who joined with others to expand timber operations in Mendocino County (early 1880s).
  • James Hunter, lumberman who joined with others to expand timber operations in Mendocino County (early 1880s).

Sources

  1. skunktrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-Full-Timetable-1.pdf
  2. skunktrain.com
  3. skunktrain.com/pudding-creek-express
  4. skunktrain.com/about
  5. skunktrain.com/pudding-creek-history
  6. skunktrain.com/willits-history
  7. mendovoice.com/2023/11/judge-denies-skunk-trains-efforts-to-delay-legal-case