Ride the Rail | Skunk Train Railbikes
If you’re like me, you’ve seen these rail bikes advertised everywhere. On our recent trip to Mendocino County, California, we knew we wanted to try it out for ourselves.
Train
We opted to purchase our tickets in advance – and I highly recommend you do the same, but you can purchase tickets the day of. There’s a Skunk Train and there’s railbikes. Both go to the same place. So if you’d rather sit instead of pedal, take the train. We wanted the full close-to the-rail experience, so we went with the rail bikes.
After we checked in at the depot in Fort Bragg, we walked across the parking lot to where the rail bikes load. We met our guide and he gave our group a safety briefing on how to use the rail bike, which side the driver sits on, hand signals, and how to use the brake.
There were 3 guides with our group and they were so helpful. There’s two people per bike, with a weight limit of 250 pounds per person. You have to wear closed-toed shoes and they’ll provide a helmet for you to wear or you can bring your own. They loaded all of our bikes on the track and they even offer a dog trailer for your bike if you want to bring your dogs along. There’s also a basket where you can put your bags, snacks, and water bottles so they don’t fall off onto the track.
There really wasn’t much to the process. The rail bike itself is almost like an e-bike where you can pedal and it’ll help you – so it’s not a strenuous pedal at all. My husband and I didn’t even pedal the whole time. Sometimes we’d take turns and just ride. It was great! The driver sits on the right side and the guides ask that the driver is the only person in charge of the brake – that also means that the person on the left side can take photos and videos (you know that’s what I’m going to be doing).
We used our hand signals for slow down and stop so that the people behind us knew what was ahead of us. This would come in handy because occasionally the guides would stop us on the track to tell us some interesting facts about the history of the rail or the area.
This is where I learned that it’s called a ‘skunk train’ because the railroad’s early 20th‑century railcars were composed of single‑unit, self‑propelled cars and had gasoline engines for power and pot‑bellied stoves that burned crude oil for heating. The combination of the gasoline fumes and the crude oil stove emissions created a strong, pungent odor. Locals along the line said the smell was so intense that you could “smell them before you could see them,” likening the stench to that of a skunk. Over time, motor cars were phased out (and with it – the smell), but the nickname stuck.
Glen Blair Junction
After we rode 3.5 miles, we arrived at Glen Blair Junction. This rest stop was a beautiful pavilion complete with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, string lights overhead and a snack station. They have everything from alcoholic beverages and sodas to sandwiches, chips, and popcorn.
So whether you’re enjoying a full lunch or just a snack, there’s something for you there. When we registered, we included lunch with our registration, so we had our lunches prepared when we arrived at the ticket station. If you reserve your food ahead of time, they can guarantee you get a sandwich with gluten free bread if you need that.
Glen Blair Trail Loop
While at Glen Blair Junction, there was an optional 1 mile guided hiking loop. Our guides were so knowledgeable! The hike was super easy and the pace was slow. Our guides pointed out all sorts of foliage and trees and facts about the area. At one point I was eating a leaf from some random plant that looked like clover with a purple bottom and it tasted like granny smith apples. Kinda weird, but kinda neat!
The ride back was pretty quick. No stops for guided chats – just open rail. It was a blast! We thoroughly enjoyed this activity and we’d love to do the longer version they have in Camp Noyo.
Late-Night
If you’re looking for something for date night, you can catch the train at 6:30pm and head out to Glen Blair Junction and enjoy some time there at the pavilion. It’s a perfect date night spot.
If you’re looking to book this excursion, simply use the link here to find out more and reserve your spot to ride.
