The Skunk Train & Rail Bikes

"100% worth the price, time, energy, and drive. We drove 4 hours one way to do this. My husband and I had so much fun. Definitely will do this again but maybe in the summer. It’s so serene and beautiful. Johnny and Ashton were awesome guides. I don’t think we could’ve had a better experience. Watch out for the banana slugs!!"

"An incredible adventure through the redwood forest! A little rain didn’t stop us & made us feel like kids again. The history of the railway was cool to learn along the way, and enjoying lunch and meeting others on our trip was a highlight. Can’t recommend this enough! During winter, dress warm and be ready for rain."

"Fun place to go for adults and kids. 11:00 AM is the only departure but there are some 6:30 PM rides on the board. The train ride is about 25 minutes to Blair Junction, where you will get 45 minutes to hang out and eat a packed lunch in the picnic area or hike the fairly easy loop trail. For the average person, the inclines should not be an issue. However, if you have trouble walking, stay in the picnic area or near the trailhead. After that, you take the train back 25 minutes to the starting point. Plenty of free parking in their lot. We enjoyed the experience!"

"Went on the pudding creek run with my partner and dog and we all had so much fun! It’s February so we were in POURING RAIN but I think it made it even more fun! I do wish there was some kind of heater on the train since everyone was cold and wet. Something for non-locals to think about is to expect rain of overcast weather for a large part of the year! I was a little sad that the bar at Blair junction was closed especially since it was a Saturday, but we had purchased the wine package and were able to also get drinks at concessions on the train. We missed the train I originally booked, but got lucky there was space and we were able to easily reschedule to the next one. We walked around town and went back to the station right when the previous one returned. We waited under the tent outside for about 45 minutes since we arrived so early. Like I said before, space heaters would be nice near the outside waiting area for the cold and rainy season. I would also like to eventually see text alerts to help remind guests of their check-in and departure time. All staff were extremely friendly and upbeat and loved having our dog with us! The conductor was especially great! She saw a cranky toddler in the seat next to us and talked to him and let him see all the pins of her hat. Her kindness made the little guy so happy and saved the family and rest of the car from witnessing a meltdown. The skunk train is something I have always wanted to do since I was a little kid and it was so fun to finally experience it as an adult! Overall had a great experience and extremely grateful to the staff for loving their jobs and making it fun, even in the miserable weather."

"I was enchanted by the skunk train and that was the main reason we did a trip to Mendocino. We purchased tickets online for a Saturday trip. When we reached there, we were told there was heavy rain and tracks were flooded. Fair enough but why not send an email or some notification. There were 100s of people out there waiting to hear the same news. We got rebooked for Sunday and we did board the skunk train. The boarding process is a bit long and painful. There is a VIP class for some folks, and the regular folks need to wait for a good 10-15 minute after standing in the line to get in. The train is every bit charming but it gets COLD. I wish they invested some money into having some space heaters inside the cars and even the open car. You do hear the conductor remind about the snacks and drinks every 5 minutes which gets annoying. Despite all the above, it's worth a ride. The lovely people of Mendocino wave at you when you go. The train stops at a place for 45 min where you can do a nice hike. You can buy some drinks and rest up as well. Overall, a one time visit. I wish they'd make the journey more comfortable and use 21st century tools and gadgets to share updates."