Crescent City to Grants Pass Highway 199 Road Guide - California & Oregon Redwood Highway

Mantle Rock

SET ODOMETER TO ZERO at the Gasquet Store and Post Office

Stunted trees growing on mantle rock in the Smith River National Recreation Area, Highway 199, California. 0.0 Gasquet Store

In this part of the tour you will be driving through an exposure of rocks that were uplifted from the earth’s upper mantle. This is the largest exposure of this type of rock in North America. The poor nutrients in these rocks, along with the presence of chrome and nickel, retards the growth of plants. Some plants such as the California pitcher plant growing at mile 3.7 are adapted to growing in these harsh regions.

Landslide in serpentine rock along the South Fork of the Smith River, California. Land slides are common in these mantle rock exposures and you are likely to see a number of new and very old landslides along the river through this area. Land slides provide good evidence of the instability of mantle rock and the reason for this occurred in the very early history of when these rocks were formed. In the mantle, very little water is able to penetrate from the surface to the mantle rock but as the rock is uplifted and still under high pressure and temperatures, water begins to mingle with these rocks, usually working its way through cracks. When water is added to mantle rock, it changes to a type of rock called serpentine. One of the common serpentine minerals is talc and this tends to make the cracks in the rock slippery and prone to land slides. New land slides have a white color. Older landslides appear to be more brick-red in color caused by staining from the iron in the rock. The older the landslide, the more reddish the rock. The process of serpentinization occurred only in the earliest history of these rocks when they were under high pressure and temperature. Water from rain does not appear to cause further development of serpentine.

Gasquet Forest Service Ranger Station, Smith River National Recreatoin Area, Highway 199, California. 0.1 USFS Ranger Station (left):
The Gasquet Ranger Station has bot inside and outside displays as well as books and maps about the Smith River National Recreation Area. The rock work around the buildings as well as some of the buildings behind the ranger station were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the same crews that did the rock works seen along the Patrick Creek Wheelchair Accessible Trail, located about eight miles ahead at the end of this section of the Highway 199 Road Tour.

0.2 French Hill Trail (right)

0.3 Four lane begins

1.3 Lado Del Rio road on the left was the site of the community of Darlingtonia, a town you may see shown on some maps. There was a lodging facility located here.

1.8 A small rock wall next to the road on the right marks a good place to pull over and stop to look back at the flat-topped French Hill.
Flat topped mountains near French Hill, Gasquet, Smith River National Recreation Area, Highway 199, California. French Hill and was the site of gold mining beginning in 1856. Gold was mined in gravel beds of ancient rivers that are believed to have flowed over a wide, flat region not much higher than sea level. The gravels of French Hill were deposited about 30 million years ago and since that time, regional uplift raised the gravel beds while erosion carved out river canyons around them. This is a good example of the uplift this entire region has experienced. The picture above was taken from French Hill looking at other hills in the area that also have similar flat tops.

2.4 Panther Flat Campground (left) has a day use area next to the river that is open for public use. A day use fee can be paid at the self-serve station near the campground entrance.

2.8 Bridge

3.4 Slide area watch for rocks

Pitcher plants, Darlingtonia Wheelchair Accessible Loop Trail, Smith River National Recreation Area, Highway 199, California. 3.7 Wheelchair Accessible Botanical Trail: (left)
The trail is wheelchair accessible and has interpretive signs that tell you about the botany and mining history in this area. The hallmark feature is the colony of insectivorous pitcher plants, known in this area as the Darlingtonia. They are well adapted to survive in the nutrient poor soils of the mantle rock and are generally found growing around springs and seeps in the mantle outcrops of this region

IMPORTANT NOTE: From this direction of travel it is somewhat hazardous to to make the left turn into the parking area for this trail because there is no turning lane and the entrance is located around a curve that makes it difficult for fast moving traffic to see your vehicle. A safer option is to continue past the parking area for one mile to Grassy Flat Campground, turn around, and return to the parking area.

4.3 Slide area watch for rocks

4.6 Grassy Flat Campground (right).
A section of the old highway and part of the old bridge that was washed out in the 1964 flood can be seen by turning right into Grassy Flat. The campground is closed in the winter but the road is always open to the old bridge.

5.0 After crossing the bridge, a road on the right takes you down to the Madrona campground and River Access.

5.5 Road narrows to two lanes

5.8 Emergency phone and extended turnout.

6.6 Sandy Beach River Access and large turnout on the right
Passing lane begins. Use the right lane to let faster moving traffic pass.

7.6 Patrick Creek Campground entrance (right)

Patrick Creek Campground day use area with safety fence (left) between picnic area and river, Highway 199, California. Patrick Creek Campground has a nice day use area located to the left as you enter the campground. The picnic area has tables and a restroom as well as a small, chain link safety fence (left side of picture) between the grassy picnic area and the river that makes this a nice place for parents with young children. A trail through the forest behind the restroom (background right) goes to a mining display and waysides about the local history and/or goes down to the river. The wheelchair accessible trail to the lodge is also near by if you want to take a short walk over to see the historic lodge. The trail goes under Highway 199 at the Patrick Creek Bridge.

7.7 SET ODOMETER TO ZERO at entrance to Patrick Creek Lodge (left)

Mining display and waysides about local history, Patrick Creek Accessible Trail, Patrick Creek Campground, Highway 199, California. Patrick Creek Lodge parking lot provides an access point for the wheelchair accessible trail to an accessible fishing platform next to the Smith River and to historic Civilian Conservation Corps features as well as a mining display and interpretive signs. The paved trail begins at the point closest to the bridge and goes under Highway 199 to the historic features on the other side.

The historic Patrick Creek Lodge was established in 1926, after this section of Highway 199 was completed and opened to vehicle traffic. The owners of the original lodge, located three miles up river on the old road, moved to this location and built the new lodge, which became known as Patrick Creek Tavern. It was renamed the Patrick Creek Lodge in 1947.

Guests who have stopped here included John D. Rockefeller during a visit with the Save the Redwood League and, in 1931, Winston Churchill who later became Prime Minister of England.

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Disclaimer: All information in Highway199.org is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, conditions in outdoor settings can change dramatically after storms or fires. For this reason, travelers are advised to check current road conditions before traveling through the area, drive responsibly and take measures to understand safety issues in the region. When participating in outdoor activities, always plan and prepare for safe hiking, swimming or any other activities mentioned in the Highway 199 website. More on disclaimer and copyright...