Adventures in history: The Old Redwood Stage Road of Oregon and California

Redwood Forest, California

The 1886 Gasquet Toll Road

IMPORTANT NOTE: The section of the road through Jedediah Smith State Park is typically closed for a week during the spring for annual road maintenance. If the road is closed, return to Highway 199, turn left, and continue to Crescent City using the Highway 199 Road Guide (you will entering the Highway 199 tour at mile 7.1)

0.0 Set the ODOMETER TO ZERO after turning on to South Fork Road and before crossing the bridge. After crossing the bridge you will be back on the approximate route of the Old Redwood Stage Road. You can walk on a section of this old road at mile 0.2.

0.2 Section of Old Stage Road (left): Across from the entrance to River Access on the right is an abandoned road blocked by rocks. Walk up this road and just past the large redwood tree on the left, look for the intersection of the Old Redwood Stage Road. You can follow this road for a short distance to the left.

0.5 South Fork Bridge was originally a swinging bridge used by stagecoaches and later automobiles. You will be entering from the left side of this picture. Cross the bridge and TURN RIGHT on Douglas Park road to continue the tour.

0.6 Douglas Park Road: TURN RIGHT. The next mile of road goes through a residential area. Please drive slowly. On the way to the next stop you will go through a covered bridge that was constructed in 1976 to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States.

1.8 The pavement ends as you enter Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and the road changes its name from Douglas Park Road to Howland Hill Road. The road is generally well graded but potholes can form in wet areas. The road is one lane wide with turnouts. If you see a vehicle coming from the other direction, pull into the nearest turnout to let the vehicle pass. A picture of the old road can be seen below left. On the right, the road as it appears today.

The old Redwood Highway, or Gasquet Toll Road went through the redwood forest to get to Crescent City, California. Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park follows the same route through the redwoods as the old Redwood Highway.

As you continue your drive, look for tall stumps of redwood trees. These trees may have been cut down during the construction of this road in the mid 1880s to provide wood for bridges and a plank road that will be discussed later in the tour. The trees were cut high because the trunk is thinner about 10 feet off the ground. Note the square holes where slats of wood were put for the loggers to stand on and cut the trees as illustrated in the picture to the left. The holes you see in the stumps along the road may seem too shallow to support a man standing on a board but remember that when these trees were cut down they had bark that was about a foot thick. This bark has long since fallen from the sides of these stumps.

3.0 Stout Grove Road (CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD): Stout Grove is a world class redwood forest and well worth the stop if you want to take the short loop trail.

4.3 Mill Creek Bridge. Before crossing the bridge, look to the left to see where the old road went down to cross Mill Creek. There is also a large redwood stump next to this road with a hemlock tree growing out of the top. The roots of the hemlock come down around the outside of the trunk, probably originally going down beneath the bark of the redwood. The roots became exposed when the bark fell off. The old road climbs back up from Mill Creek at mile 4.4.

After crossing the bridge a large stump can be seen above the road. This tree fell across the bridge several years ago causing some structural damage to one side, which helps explain the odd way the railing swings out into the road.

4.4 Mill Creek Trail (right): This is one of the more popular hikes in the area and takes you for three miles through the redwood forest and along Mill Creek to the Smith River. During the summer, a temporary foot bridge makes it possible to cross Mill Creek to the Stout Grove. On the other side of the road from the Mill Creek trailhead is a section of the 1886 Gasquet Toll Road that goes down to where it crossed Mill Creek.

4.9 Mill Creek Trail (left): This section of the Mill Creek Trail connects with the Nickerson Ranch Trail and makes a fairly level loop trail. For more information on this route, see the Nickerson Ranch Loop Trail below for more information on this hike.

5.2 Boy Scout Trail (right): The first quarter mile of this trail has a fairly level trail and a good stand of redwood trees. The trail becomes steep after the first quarter mile.

5.3 Nickerson Ranch Loop Trail: Watch on the left for the trailhead for the Nickerson Ranch Trail, a relatively level path through a mix of redwood and western hemlock trees. It connects to the Mill Creek Trail making it possible to walk through the woods and along the creek, then return to your parked vehicle along the road. The total distance of the loop is about three miles of fairly level walking.

Across from the Nickerson Ranch Trail and about another 100 feet further down the road is an unmarked trail on the right that takes you a section of the old plank road about 100 feet above Howland Hill Road. Walk up this trail to the old road and go left. Look on the ground for what is left of the old redwood planks. The puncheons seen between the plants in the picture below right will give you an idea of what to look for. The photo below to the left shows a section of this road covered with redwood planks, or puncheons. These served as a make-shift "pavement" to prevent wagons and cars from sinking in the mud during winter months

Some portions of the old Redwood Highway, also known as the Gasquet Toll Road, were covered with planks of redwood to make a solid surface for roads to drive over in wet weather. A part of the old plank road can be found next to Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near Crescent City, California.

6.9 The gate marks the boundary of Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. The Old Redwood Stage Road will begin to descend steeply down Howland Hill. Low gears are recommended. The road is narrow with few turnouts. Drive slowly and be vigilant for on-coming traffic. The picture below left shows a stagecoach on what appears to be Howland Hill around 1910.

Crescent City and Grants Pass mail stagecoach climbs Howland Hill on its way through the redwoods to Oregon. The old Redwood Highway climbs up Holand Hill from Crescent City as it heads for Oregon.

7.4 Pavement begins: Continue driving slowly. The road is narrow and there are not many places to pull over to allow coming traffic to pass. The road will make one final turn at the bottom of the hill and straighten out as it continues toward Crescent City and the ocean. The picture above right shows the old highway looking back toward Howland Hill. This photo was taken in the vicinity of where the Elk Valley Casino is located.

8.9 Elk Valley Road: TURN LEFT to continue the tour. Elk Valley Road follows the approximate same route as both the 1857 Turnpike and Puncheon Road and the Wimer Roads. This is where these two roads arrived at Crescent City.

9.9 Highway 101: End of tour.
Downtown Crescent City is to the right. The harbor and beaches are to the left. For more information on things to do in this area see Highway 199's Redwood Coast.

Tour and photography by Roger Brandt, Highway199.org
Historic photos courtesy of the Del Norte County Historic Society and Josephine County Historic Society

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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...