This Skunk Doesn’t Stink!
Ride the Historic Skunk Train Through Redwoods and to a Magical Grove With a Snack and Beverage Bar
All aboard for a ride through history—and through air scented with redwood, dewy ferns, forest-fresh breeze, and a bonus snack and beverage bar, fire pit, and short hike. The World-Famous Skunk Train delivers in every category: scenery, greenery, and towering redwoods.
Operating since 1885, this historic line began as a logging transport before evolving into passenger service in 1925. Its railcars were nicknamed “Skunks” thanks to their less-than-lovely exhaust. The smell is long gone—replaced by a cleaner diesel-electric engine—but the name stuck.
Nowadays the Skunk Trails rolls through 40 miles of track with 381 curves (don’t worry, they’re gentle), weaving through sublime scenery. On board, you’ll find snacks and drinks—popcorn is a favorite, and yes, it comes in a souvenir bucket.
The train chugs to Glen Blair Junction, where you’ll enjoy about a 45-minute layover in a peaceful forest clearing. There’s a snack bar, beverage bar, cornhole, picnic tables, Adirondack chairs circling a firepit, and plenty of room to roam. Bring a picnic if you’d like.
You can also take a 1-mile hike among impressive redwoods, admiring their resilience as new trees sprout from ancient trunks. Along the way, you’ll gain a bird’s-eye view of Glen Blair and the surrounding canyon.
Then it’s back on board. For at least part of the journey, we recommend the open-air car where you can watch the locomotive twist and turn beneath the old-growth canopy. Keep an eye out for herons, deer, turtles, ducks, and swans—the surrounding habitat is rich with wildlife.
Go ahead—get a little steamy with the Skunk.
