{{Hammond Trail}} The '''Hammond Trail''' is a northern [[California]] [[rail trail]] along the [[Pacific coast]] in [[Humboldt County, California|Humboldt County]]. The {{cvt|5.5|mi|adj=on}} hiking and biking trail follows the historic [[Hammond Lumber Company]]'s Humboldt Northern Railway grade from the [[Mad River (California)|Mad River]] to [[Little River State Beach]].
==Route== The southern end of Hammond trail is on the north bank of the Mad River. The trail follows Fischer Avenue climbing into the western edge of [[McKinleyville, California|McKinleyville]] where a separate trail begins along the east side of Fischer Avenue from School Street to Hiller Park. Leaving Hiller park the trail enters woodlands along the eastern edge of the McKinleyville [[sewage treatment]] ponds and emerges atop a steep bluff above the north bank of the Mad River. At Murray Road trail users may either follow the west branch of the trail above the Mad River to reach the Widow White Creek [[interpretive trail]] or travel east on Murray Road to turn north again where the east branch of the trail follows the west side of [[U.S. Route 101 in California|highway 101]]. Following convergence with the eastern end of the Widow White Creek interpretive trail, Hammond Trail continues north along Letz Avenue and then past a highway 101 [[vista point]] where the trail leaves the former railroad grade to drop into the Clam Beach County Park [[dune]]s between the Pacific coast and highway 101.<ref name=hcc>{{cite web |url=https://humboldtgov.org/2761/Hammond-Trail |title=Hammond Trail |publisher=[[Humboldt County, California]] |accessdate=27 March 2023 }}</ref>
==History== The southern portion of Hammond Trail was built on an abandoned [[logging railroad]] which once carried [[redwood]] logs to [[Samoa, California|Samoa]] [[sawmill]]s from forests between [[Trinidad, California|Trinidad]] and [[Big Lagoon (California)|Big Lagoon]] until a 1945 [[wildfire]] destroyed many of the wooden [[trestle bridge]]s. The last logging train ran on 23 August 1948.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Borden | first = Stanley T. | title = Railroads of Eureka | journal = Western Railroader, Booklet 229-E | volume = 22 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–18 | date = November 1958 }}</ref> Trail construction began in 1979<ref name=tsc>{{cite book |last=Salcedo-Chourre |first=Tracy |authorlink = |title =Rails-to-Trails, California |publisher =The Globe Pequot Press |date =2001 |location =[[Guilford, Connecticut]] |pages =3–7 |isbn =0-7627-0448-9}}</ref> and was completed in 2001. Hammond Trail is a segment of the [[California Coastal Trail]].<ref name=hcc/>
==Facilities== Some of the trail has [[asphalt concrete]] pavement while other segments have a gravel surface. Public [[toilet]]s are available at Hiller Park<ref name=tsc/> and at Clam Beach County Park, where camping facilities are also available. [[Leash]]ed dogs are allowed on the trail.<ref name=hcc/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{California hiking trails}}
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[[Category:Parks in Humboldt County, California]] [[Category:Rail trails in California]] [[Category:Transportation in Humboldt County, California]] [[Category:National Recreation Trails in California]]