Abandoned North Coast Rail Line Set To Become More Than 300 Miles Of Trail

ROHNERT PARK (KPIX 5) – After 30 years of debate, California made it official Monday. An abandoned rail line along the North Coast will now become the longest "rail trail" in the United States.

At 11:20 a.m., the North Coast Railroad Authority came to an end. Ten minutes later, the Great Redwood Trail Agency was born.

"It's like at the beginning of the Pacific Crest Trail, or the Appalachian Trail, is that magnitude for the state," said Caryl Hart, incoming chair of the Great Redwood Trail Agency. "So it's a huge day."

Hart will lead the new agency as it sets out to connect San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay, along the old Northwest Pacific Railroad right-of-way. The southern portion will run alongside the SMART line, before heading north out of the Bay Area.

"And then out into some of the most beautiful wilderness areas on the planet," Hart told KPIX 5. "That's what you're going to experience on the Great Redwood Trail."

To the north, abandoned rail beds would be repurposed in the Eel River Canyon and through some of the state's most spectacular forests, a vision that thrills hikers and cyclists.

"Yeah, I would love it," said Jason Reichert of Rohnert Park. "You could bring a bike to do some of the sections."

In some places, like Rohnert Park, the trail already exists in tiny fragments as commuter paths. Backers expect more trails like that soon, while the wilderness sections will take planning, and more time.

"Obviously, we all want to see this happen in our lifetimes," Hart said. "And that's the goal."