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Description
Fort Bragg/Sherwood Road is a lengthy, remote dirt and gravel adventure that takes you through beautiful redwood forests between the towns of Fort Bragg and Willits. You'll be treated to some amazing views of Northern California's famous redwoods and the Noyo River watershed. Most of the route is unpaved, though you might find some old, decaying asphalt at the eastern end. A key thing to know is that this road can get extremely muddy and potentially impassable if it has rained recently. Because of this, it's typically closed to vehicle traffic from around November to May each year. Even when open, the road isn't graded very often, so expect to encounter some ruts. There are no gas stations, stores, or repair shops along this ridge road, and water sources are scarce, so make sure you're fully prepared before you head out. The land on either side is mostly private timber company property.
Directions
To get to the eastern start of Fort Bragg/Sherwood Road, you'll head from Willits on Sherwood Road. This part begins with a paved climb as you go through the Brooktrails area. As you drive further, the pavement gets worse and eventually turns into a gravel road after you make a left turn near Sherwood Rancheria. Keep an eye out for a sign for 'Bertha Keys Way' – that road goes to the right, but you'll be turning left. After passing a few houses, the road starts climbing up towards Sherwood Peak. The approximate GPS coordinates for this eastern trailhead are 39.494900, -123.428440. The trail itself is a point-to-point route that generally connects the areas of Fort Bragg and Willits.
Difficulty
For an off-road vehicle, this trail is generally on the easier side, and a high-clearance 2WD vehicle should be fine when conditions are dry. However, weather can make a big difference here. If there's been rain, be warned: parts of the road can turn into very thick, 'peanut butter' style mud, which can make it extremely tough or even impossible to get through. The road surface is mainly dirt and gravel, with some old, broken-up asphalt at the eastern end near Willits. Because the road isn't maintained regularly, you might find ruts in places. There are some uphill sections, including a steady paved climb at the very beginning if you're starting from Willits, and then some smaller climbs as you go.
Trail Uses
- Off-Road Vehicles
- 4x4 Vehicle
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
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