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At a Glance
California classic? Or a poorly paved
bumpfest not worth the trouble? Admittedly, this one could go
either way. But if you’re a buff for coastal remoteness and
don’t mind when things get a little rough, this is a DH not to
be missed. Coming from the south, the first five one-lane miles
of this county loop provide one of the best old-growth redwood
experiences you’ll find anywhere. Then the road widens into a
steep, tight, switchbacking section of deteriorated asphalt that
travels up and over a treed ridge and down into the one-store
stop of Honeydew. Engineering improves and Pavement is
marginally better when the road runs through the part forest,
part field and part tumbledown shack environs of the Mattole
River Valley to the next lonely gas stop of Petrolia. The next
segment is the most memorable despite the fact the surface
quality dips again. This is where the road tumbles down to a
breathtaking piece of wild, Northern California coastline.
Scenically, it’s most intense on the straight section that runs
between the dunes and the pounding surf, but you continue to get
fantastic ocean views when you rise steeply up to the barren,
windswept highlands above the water. From there, you twist
through a high, partly treed valley, before clambering over a
last ridge and plunging steeply through thick forest down into
the Victorian village of Ferndale.
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