The Skunk Train — officially the California Western Railroad — has been running between Fort Bragg and Willits since 1885. It was built to haul redwood lumber from the forests to the coast, threading through terrain so rugged that no road followed the same route until decades later. Today it carries passengers on trips through 40 miles of redwood and fir forest, crossing wooden trestle bridges and climbing into the mountains behind the coast.
Departures are from the historic depot at 100 W. Laurel Street in Fort Bragg. Various trip options are available: half-day excursions to Northspur (a forest stop about halfway) and full-day round trips to Willits. In summer the train runs daily; in winter the schedule is reduced. The Skunk Train also operates moonlight and barbecue runs in season. It is not a sophisticated operation, but the journey through the redwood canyon is genuinely beautiful, and the old wooden coaches have a charm that the buses on Highway 1 do not.