Pedal Along Wonder Stump Road
Easy, paved bike ride with redwoods and ranches
A passing glance at the street intersection of “Wonder Stump Road and Star Trek Drive” in Crescent City hints at the whimsy to be had biking along this towering redwood-lined road.
For a scenic bike ride in Crescent City, California pedal your way to Wonder Stump Road. This is probably the best option for biking through beautiful redwoods on a paved road without heavy traffic. Although the forest is mostly second-growth redwood, it is still very scenic.
You’ll have to share the road with cars, but the traffic is minimal and slow-moving. You can pedal for 4-miles or make it 6.6-miles.
By crossing Highway 101 and linking up with the Kings Valley Road, Lesina Road and Elk Valley Cross Road, this makes for a quaint 6.6-mile loop on paved, mostly-flat roads with great redwood scenery along Wonder Stump Road and cool views of historic ranches on King’s Valley Road. If blueberries are in season, an organic blueberry farm is en route.
If crossing the highway on a bicycle seems too risky, consider staying on Wonder Stump Road on the west side of Highway 101 for a 4-mile out-and-back.
Much of the Fort Dick area is covered with impressive redwood stumps, harking to an ancient forest long since disappeared by loggers. The Thai restaurant in Fort Dick is even nicknamed “The Stump” by locals for the huge redwood stump resting on the side of the restaurant.
But the actual “Del Norte Wonder Stump” was a tourist attraction in the 1930s and ’40s showcasing an 8-foot diameter redwood that grew over and around another fallen redwood that pre-dates European settlement. The Wonder Stump is in a high state of decay and located on private property now.
- The Bike Ride: A 6.6-mile loop on Wonder Stump Road, Kings Valley Road, Lesina Road and Elk Valley Cross Road, or a 4-mile out-and-back on Wonder Stump Road
- Sweat Level: Easy, mostly-flat on paved roads
- Getting There: From Crescent City, travel north on 101 for three miles to Elk Valley Cross Road. Take a left and find Wonder Stump Road on your right.
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I grew up in the 1960s on wonderstump rd. As kids we used to go down to the drive inn theater and watch movies by looking threw the knot holes of the wooden fence around the theater. (Cheap intertainment) We played with our friends at the old wonder stump. Fished the creek behind our house for trout. Growing up there was great. My grandfather louie pieper was a commercial fisherman and my dad was a log truck driver. Mom grew a huge garden so there was always plenty to do.
Lots of good memories.
Thank you for sharing these really wonderful memories with us, Steve!