Southern Oregon’s First Road to the Sea

Low Divide to the Redwoods, California

After climbing out of the Smith River canyon, the road travels across a plateau of fairly level terrain called the Low Divide. This level terrain must have been a welcome section after the long climb up from the North Fork of the Smith River.

Serpentine rock outcrops along the Low Divide road tend to support dissipated stands of trees. Smith River National Recreation Area, California At one point along the tour, the old stagecoach road passes through shale rock outcrops that support dense stands of trees. mith River National Recreation Area, California

Most of the vegetation on Low Divide is made up of sparsely forested serpentine rock outcrops (left). One section of the road, goes through shale rock, probably of the Franciscan Formation, that supports heavily forested woods (right).

The old stagecoach road can be seen to the right of the new road. Smith River National Recreation Area, California

At some points along the route, the old road can be seen paralleling the new road. The new road may not follow exactly the old route but narrow ridge tops in many sections leave few options for either of the roads to go anywhere but along the narrow crest.

It is likely that most of what is seen along this route is the same scenery that travelers saw when traveling the route from 1858 to about 1889.

Vista from Low Divide looking northward over the North Fork of the Smith River, Smith River National Recreation Area, California

In this photo, it is possible to see the terrain that the road traveled through in the previous three pages. The McGrew Road comes in from the right along the most distant ridge where it passes through Taylor Peak, the dark, tree covered section of the ridge in the upper right. It then climbs McGrew Peak and comes around the left side of the red peak on the distant left and drops down to Sourdough Flats Junction, the slightly gray colored area just below the right shoulder of the red peak. From Sourdough Flats Junction, the road goes to the right following the ridge in the middle distance to just about the middle of the picture where it turns to the left and begins dropping down to the Smith River canyon. Other than the old road, there is very little sign of human activity in this scenic landscape of sparsely vegetated serpentine rock. This same scene may be very close to what travelers in stagecoaches would have seen as they traveled this route.

Altaville was an important stop for both stagecoaches and freight wagons traveling on the 1857 Turnpike and Puncheon Road (McGrew Trail). Smith River National Recreation Area, California. The ridge top route did not have much in the way of natural water sources and for this reason entrepreneurs may have set up water and feed stations along the road for the horses pulling freight wagons and stagecoaches. The largest of these stations was the small community of Altaville (right). It is said that this town was all but deserted during the day but at night, when freight wagons pulled in for the evening, the town would spring into life until the morning light prompted wagons to start moving again toward their delivery destinations.

The location of Altaville is marked by a wide flat area on both sides of the road. Just before arriving to this point, look to the left for the old road that parallels the road you are driving on.

Dwarfed pine trees growing on serpentine rock outcrops. Smith River National Recreation Area, California. Once you pass Altaville, the road climbs to a saddle before dropping into the Rowdy Creek drainage. The old Wimer Road goes straight ahead at this point and the Turnpike Road turns and climbs to the left onto plateau called the High Divide. The road passes through an interesting stand of dwarf pine trees. A little further a vista with a sweeping view of Lake Earl and Crescent City harbor can be seen on the right. This must have been an uplifting sight for weary travelers who could now see their destination.

The road eventually turns down hill toward the middle fork of the Smith River where the sparse vegetation growing on the serpentine rock outcrops seen along most of the route quickly give away to a deep redwood forest as the road descends. CAUTION: Steep down grade. Use low gear.

At the bottom of the grade you will come to a stop sign, the first such sign you will see during this entire trip. This is Highway 97, or North Bank Road. The old road continued straight ahead to "Peacock Crossing", a ferry that took travelers across the Smith River. The only way to get to this site is to turn left on Hwy 97 and drive to Highway 199, the next stop sign about four miles up the road. Turn right and drive about two miles to Walker Road on the right.

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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...