Cal Barrel Road Hike

Cal Barrel Road Hike is a 3.9-mile out-and-back from the pullout on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway to the Rhododendron Trail junction. Walk the gravel road about 1.9 miles uphill, then return the same way; allow two to two and a half hours for a steady climb of about 700 feet. The mapped corridor works out to 3.9 miles round trip. Other GPS walks that turn at Rhododendron come in around 3.6 to 3.7 miles, while the full road is listed as 3.5 miles one way. This entry uses the Rhododendron junction as its turnaround; an unofficial old-road continuation beyond it is blocked by a fallen redwood.

Take the first few hundred yards slowly. The lower stretch runs through the largest redwoods and looks down into a fern-carpeted ravine. As the road climbs, the trees get smaller and the woods close in. Near the upper flat, the forest opens into a dense grove of darker redwoods above an unbroken fern floor. Redwood needles can hide the gravel, but the broad road still feels more open than a narrow footpath.

Cal Barrel Road was built for the California Barrel Company, whose Arcata mill ran from 1902 to 1956 and was the town's main employer. The road's width and steady grade come from that working past; today it gives a long look through old-growth forest rather than a close-in, single-file trail.

Leashed dogs are welcome on Cal Barrel Road, but not on connected park trails such as Rhododendron Trail, so turn around with your dog at the junction. The vehicle gate may be closed seasonally, while walkers can still use the road; the entrance sign says the gate closes at sunset. When cars are using the road, share the gravel and watch the tight corners. The small pullout is just inside the road entrance and before the gate.