Tunnel Travel in Loleta

Old Railroad tunnel beneath Highway 101 just north of Loleta, Humboldt County, CA. [Photo by David Wilson, May 23, 2018.]

Looking for an adventure with your kids? Or with your friends?

Dive beneath the earth and trek through the Old Railroad Tunnel near Loleta this year. Photographer David Wilson captured these two images yesterday and they point out a bit of the history carried within the darkness. Back in 1884, according to the North Coast Journal, the Eel River and Eureka Railroad had crews build a tunnel through Table Bluff.

Now it is a sweet and sorta secret hike that is just a little creepy.

The tunnel entrance on the southwest side of Hwy 101 [Photo by David Wilson, May 23, 2018.]

To hike to the west entrance of the tunnel, start about a half a block west of the Loleta Cheese Factory in Loleta. On the north side of Loleta Drive, west of the old Humboldt Creamery, is an empty lot with a sign labeled “Hiking Trail.” Follow that trail north and east to the tunnel under Hwy 101.

Depending on who you talk to, the trail is approximately three miles round trip. Here’s a blog post detailing the adventure one family with small children had while hiking the trail.

Remember to bring a flashlight. It’s dark!

What are some of your favorite local low-cost adventures?

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Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago

Any Ghosts??? Usually old railroad tunnels have their fair share of Uncrossed Entities!!!

clearlake fool
Guest
clearlake fool
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

ghosts only appear during earthquakes
so dont go if its shaking

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago
Reply to  clearlake fool

Not necessarily sometimes they just show up for no apparent reason also!!!

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

“I ain’t afraid of no ghost!”
But we didn’t see any.
However, there ARE two glowing green eyes waaaaaay down there, just beneath the far end of the tunnel.

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago
Reply to  David Wilson

You mean these?

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago
Reply to  David Wilson

Yes. Those.

Rod Farva
Guest
Rod Farva
5 years ago
Reply to  David Wilson

“I ain’t afraid of no eyes.”

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

No, there is no such thing.

Jason
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

You know it also goes under a old grave yard. It’s in ripley’s for going under grave yard

Mogtx
Guest
5 years ago

Some times they come back .

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago
Reply to  Mogtx

They do indeed, especially if it’s a residual haunting as opposed to an active one!!!

Antix
Guest
Antix
5 years ago

So much for it being somewhat low key. Smh.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

I see some of our local trash has had their way with it. Sickening.

Duhhhhhh
Guest
Duhhhhhh
5 years ago

Just watch out for all the tweakers and bums.

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago
Reply to  Duhhhhhh

We saw no one, only those eyes.

Pike Mortar
Guest
Pike Mortar
5 years ago

No tweakers or bums. Lots of empty spray paint cans though! The east side is wet; we went through a few months back and couldn’t get out the east side because there was standing water over tops of our boots. It’s an easy walk back to the tunnel from Loleta although a section of culvert is washed out, but you can just walk down and around. Grab grilled cheese sammiches at the Loleta Cheese place afterwards…

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago

If you go, I recommend bringing a good flashlight. It’s not as light as the interior photograph above looks; that image makes use of long exposure to bring up the darkness. Our eyes can’t do that, so it looks much darker in there to us, closer to the way the photo from outside shows it.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
5 years ago
Reply to  David Wilson

Yes, we had a small flashlight between 3 people and half way through it pooped out and then you can’t see anything at all except the two ends. I tell ya, you loose it quick. Luckily that was in the days I still carried a Zippo. Still it was a long way to get out trying to recall my last fill up. Hi Dave, spent a lot of time with you in the HSU darkroom back in the day. Nice stuff!

David Wilson
Guest
David Wilson
5 years ago
Reply to  Chuck U

Far out, Chuck! Those were the days. Weren’t they? So many late nights in the HSU Art darkroom. I’d be singing the Beatles’ “I’m So Tired” to myself and thinking, “Just ONE more print…” “One more…” “ok ONE MORE…”

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
5 years ago
Reply to  David Wilson

I am not Chuck, it was you me and Doug fighting over the color machine in those daze, I was the weird one. A simple search doesn’t give me a website, got one? Ellen, Vaughn, Mia, Buzz, Alex, lab teching the midnight watch…

Liz
Guest
Liz
5 years ago

Another railroad tunnel to hike through is between Shivley and Larabee. This one has a curve and for a bit you can not see the light on the other side. A side note about walking on railroad rails… If there are two of you and if you touch finger tips while walking side-by-side you won’t loose your balance off the rail.

Jack
Guest
Jack
5 years ago
Reply to  Liz

I went thru it with my girlfriend (now wife) in the 70’s. Train was running, luckily theirs a blow hole that vents towards the river…we rode it out in there til it passed. She still punches me when I tell the story. Lol

gunther
Guest
gunther
5 years ago

My cousin and I walked through the Island Mountain tunnel many years ago. A little under a mile if I remember right. Now that was dark.

Whatever
Guest
Whatever
5 years ago

I thought the railroad Community discourage people from going into that because it’s supposed to be dangerous.

Debbie
Guest
Debbie
5 years ago
Reply to  Whatever

There’s one in every crowd, always!! Life is Dangerous., it wouldn’t be open to public if it was. Don’t ruin it for others to experience because of your insecurities. Please.

Concerned local
Guest
Concerned local
5 years ago
Reply to  Whatever

You are correct! It is private property, condemned, and it is actually trespassing which is a crime. They condemned the tunnel because it is unsafe for humans to go thru.

Hmmmmm!
Guest
Hmmmmm!
5 years ago

There is a sign and a trail right to it, so I don’t think you’re correct about that.
Here’s one of many web sites with info, complete with photos of the sign and trail: https://johnstonchronicles.blogspot.com/2016/08/loleta-train-tunnel-hike.html

Tamma
Guest
Tamma
5 years ago

You for got a little piece of information. The tunnel is right under a cemetery. I grew up in loleta and went threw that tunnel more times than you can count. I have even been almost to the other end and had the train come and had to run like forrest gump to get back to the other end. Let me tell you not fun. The railroad ties have gravel between the but as you get further in to the tunnel theres less rocks. So when you step you want to step on the railroad ties. I dont know why that is but just a bit of information. I have taken my kids down there many of times it is part of or local history the house i grew up in is right off the tracks. The whole tweeker and bum thing take some where else. The worst you might see would if you went at night and caught some local youngster sneaking out and hanging out cuz its scary!

Sharpen your pencil
Guest
Sharpen your pencil
5 years ago

No talent and a waste of paint, boom!

Shannon Johnson
Guest
Shannon Johnson
5 years ago

I used to walk that tunnel all the time as a kid it takes about 20 minutes to walk through. It’s about a 30 minute walk to get to the tunnel from town loleta. It is colder inside of the tunnel but it’s worth the walk.

Bigpapabrian
Guest
Bigpapabrian
5 years ago

That Tunnel runs underneath the Cemetery

Wade Worthington
Guest
Wade Worthington
5 years ago

One day in the summer of 1989, back when the trains were still running, I hiked the tracks from Loleta’s town center to experience this tunnel. While walking through the tunnel I was a bit worried that a train might come but back then I seem to remember trains only running at night. As I was getting close to the other side, I saw the body of a man laid out across both rails just outside of the entrance. It was very odd and I remember approaching feeling very alarmed and concerned. As I stood above this guy who might have been in his 30’s and who appeared to be unconscious, I asked, are you ok? His eyes then shot open and he answered “yes”. No explanation nor did he get up. “Oh” I said and I turned around to go back through the tunnel. Several yards later I turned to look back to get another look at him, and I noticed he was gone. Weird!

Jasmine Smith
Guest
Jasmine Smith
5 years ago

Owwoooooooooooooooo! Is that a ghost howling?

Kay
Guest
Kay
1 year ago

WARNING
We embarked upon this journey with delight, only to be faced with a series of unfortunate events.
Merrily we hiked on down the head of the trail, smelling flowers and enjoying the scenery that would present itself through gaps in the trees and eating berries. Just as we were to encounter the infamous tunnel, we were met by that common sign of oppression.
“Private property…no dogs”. Having our dog with us we responded…”screw dat we goin” as we approached the tunnel we noticed giant cow pies. We saw the tunnel now had a gate on it too. Thats when it hit us…”its not to keep us out of the tunnel…its to keep the bulls where we stood” we weighed the ominous options…and decided to heap into the post apocalyptic tunnel instead of enduring a trampling.

The tunnel was as instinctually terrifying as it was a twilight zone sight. Approaching the last leg of the tunnel, we balanced on the rails occasionally dipping our feet into the cloudy tunnel water. “Theres a trail at the end that leads up to a cemetery” we thought. We thought wrong. Knowing our track record so far, would u say we turned back?

Of course not. We army crawled through thorns up a thicketed hillside to what looked like an opening while shadow (our pup) had the time of her life prancing around mocking us. Finally we were right! It was an opening! An opening which contained vast amount of livestock! Luckily no bulls were in sight and judging by the map the cemetery was just over this hill! We got over the hump of the hill, and were met by 20+…..you guessed it. Ducks. Na jp they were bulls. Huge effing bulls.

Terrified… we held shadow close and practically tipped toed past them. We went to jump the fence into the cemetery but realized there was barbed wire along the top, but luckily found a small opening in the fence which we lifted and crawled into the cemetery. And just as we cheered…”we didnt die!” (Which may have offended all the inhabitants of the yard) I almost stepped on a needle. That my friends….is this trail. If u enjoy tunnelswamp, thorns bullshit and hepatitis c like we do you should def give it a go!! 🙂