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Home » Hikes in Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 » Region I: Humboldt’s Inland Southeast » Holmes Flat Road

Holmes Flat Road

Length: 2.6 miles

Total ascent: 140 feet

Elevations: 130 – 170 feet

Type: 0% loop

Land management: County of Humboldt

Fee: none

Access constraints: Under moderately high water conditions, the Holmes Flat low-water bridge will be impassable and the Tierney Road alternative may have been removed (in October or November depending upon river flow). Plans are underway to replace the old low-water bridge in the next several years.

Dogs: yes

Bicycles: yes

Horses: yes

Restrooms: none

Description:  Like the low-water bridges that allow access to Shively and McCann, the walk across the Holmes Flat bridge follows a quiet road on the east side of the Eel through pasture land, past old fruit trees and a smattering of residences. This pleasant walk also passes the rusting hulk of a Northwestern Railroad bridge over Larabee Creek.

Not surprisingly, this area was once the domain of enormous redwoods. After the land had been cleared, the property on both sides of the river was subdivided into small farms with the exception of the 20,000-acre Larabee Ranch (owned by the Humboldt Redwood Company). A thousand head of cattle grazed this cutover land in the 1940s.

The permanent portions of the existing low-water bridge were originally constructed by the Pacific Lumber Company in 1937 to provide access to farms, ranches, residences, and timberland on the east side of the Eel River. Humboldt County assumed responsibility for the bridge in 1959. Now, during winter months when the low-water bridge is impassable or the temporary Bailey bridge has been removed, access for the residents of Larabee involves a long drive through Larabee Ranch to Shively and on to ‘civilization’.

Getting there:  Proceed south on US 101 for 34.9 miles. Take Exit 671 (Holmes/Redcrest). Turn left on the Barkdull Road and right on the Avenue of the Giants (CA 254) in 0.2 mile.  Continue south for 2.2 miles. Turn left on the Holmes Flat Road. Follow the Holmes Flat Road for 1.3 miles to a T-junction.  Turn right and immediately left (0.2 mile) and look for parking on the side of the road. Be careful not to block access to the private residences clustered around the top of the bluff and the access road down to the closed low-water bridge. To the left at the T-junction is Tierney Road, which leads to the riverbed and a functioning low-water bridge. Parking is possible on the riverbed when the bridge is in. Approximate driving time, 45 minutes.

The route:  From the blocked end of the Holmes Flat Road, walk east and down the road to the old low water bridge. The bridge can be easily and safely crossed on foot when the river is low. The Holmes Flat Road climbs the low east bank and again becomes paved. The Holmes Flat Road turns sharply right (0.5) diverging from the unpaved road that continues straight and crosses the inactive Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks and splits with one fork entering the Larabee Ranch and the other veering left, which is the high water option for leaving the area. The Holmes Flat Road crosses Larabee Creek (1.0) and ends soon (1.3). East along this road is the deteriorating railroad prism and infrastructure of the dormant Northwestern Pacific.

Extras. It is possible to return via the riverbed road to and across the operational downriver low water bridge and along Tierney Road to Holmes Flat Road (1.2 additional miles).

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Backcountry Press
🚨GOOD NEWS ALERT: Now available for preorder wi 🚨GOOD NEWS ALERT: Now available for preorder with free eBook!

Dearest Klamath Mountains Enthusiasts,

You all have been so patient with us as we attempted to wrangle the complexity of this region into one comprehensive natural history book.

It took 10 years and 34 co-authors, but we did it!!

The full color 496 page hardcover will ship to you in early September, but the eBook is available immediately (and for FREE) with your preorder purchase! 

And if you’re super into learning first hand about the river ecology, geology, plant communities, and more of this epic corner of the world, join lead authors @michael.kauffmann, @justin.garwood, and other co-authors Oct. 7-9 for an all inclusive weekend nerd-out/ campout on the Wild and Scenic South Fork of the Smith River! Your book is included ⛺️🌲📘

Get yours at our Link In Profile

#klamathmountains #naturalhistory #biodiversity #northerncalifornia #southernoregon #trinityalps #trinityalpswilderness #trinitycounty #delnortecounty #siskiyoucounty #josephinecounty #currycounty #jacksoncounty #ashlandoregon #ashland #shasta #shastacounty #humboldt #humboldtcounty #reddingca #reddingcalifornia #exploreoregon #pnw @activenorcal @lostcoastoutpost

https://backcountrypress.com/book/the-klamath-mountains-a-natural-history/
#overachiever 🏔 We asked for pics of our books #overachiever 🏔 We asked for pics of our books in the wild. @forestperi delivered.

Guess who summited Shasta today?!?
#conifercountry

This totally made our day, Forest! Thanks! Too bad there aren’t any conifers to i.d. at 14,180’😆

📷: @aliciaellingson

#mountshasta #booksinthewild #conifers #shasta #northerncalifornia

https://backcountrypress.com/book/conifer-country/
Our books love to join you in the wilderness! Thi Our books love to join you in the wilderness!

This awesome pic just in of Taina and Conifer Country in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Taina is part of the California Fish and Wildlife High Lakes Research Team. They’re mapping lakes and monitoring for Cascades Frogs across northwest CA.

Thanks for doing this important work, Taina and crew!

📷: Justin Garwood, co-editor of The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History

👀 We’d love to see your Backcountry Press books out in the field. Tag us!

#conifercountry #trinityalps #klamathmountains #thisisscience #wilderness #northerncalifornia #norcal #backpacking #fieldguide #botany #botanist #conifers #ecology #naturalhistory

https://backcountrypress.com/book/conifer-country/
North Coasters: Join @michael.kauffmann for Arts A North Coasters: Join @michael.kauffmann for Arts Alive at @eurekabooks this Saturday evening for a book signing event! Come say "Hi" and chat with him about conifers, California Desert Plants, and, of course, the Klamath Mountains!

🤓 He'll even have sand samples from around the world for you to check out. See if you can guess which one came from the Mojave Desert's Kelso Dunes!

📷: Dylan Neubauer

#artsalive #meettheauthor #ilikeeureka #madeinhumboldt #humboldtmade #californianativeplants #desertplants #humboldtcounty #humboldt #eurekaca #mojavedesert #californiadesertplants 

https://backcountrypress.com/book/california-desert-plants/
2,394 species = The total flora of the California 2,394 species = The total flora of the California deserts!

The six largest plant families in the California deserts make up more than 1/4 of the native flora... can you guess what they are?

⬇️

⬇️

⬇️

• Asteraceae (sunflower family) = 200 species

• Fabaceae (legume family) = 98 species

• Poaceae (grass family) = 93 species

• Polemoniaceae (phlox family) = 78 species

• Polygonaceae (buckwheat family) = 77 species

• Hydrophyllaceae (phacelia family) = 75 species

📷:
1. Psathyrotes ramosissima, Asteraceae, turtleback | Photo by Matt Berger @sheriff_woody_pct 

2. Lupinus concinnus, Fabaceae, bajada lupine | Photo by Patrick Alexander

3. Stipa hymenoides, Poaceae, indian ricegrass | Photo by Matt Berger

4. Linanthus dichotomus, Polemoniaceae, evening snow | Photo by Jim Morefield

5.  Rumex hymenosepalus, Polygonaceae, desert rhubarb | Photo by Matt Berger

6. Phacelia crenulata, Hydrophyllaceae, notch-leaved phacelia | Photo by Stan Shebs

➡️ This PSA was brought to you by our new book: “California Desert Plants”

Tap our Link In Profile to find yours!

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Nuggets of knowledge we soaked up from @sheriff_wo Nuggets of knowledge we soaked up from @sheriff_woody_pct on the Botany Road Trip to the Intermountain West:

1. Rare plants tend to grow in clusters with other rare plants.

2. When choosing to except a hitch or not, feel more comfortable if a couple is offering the ride. Couples, generally, don’t murder people.

3. If it looks onionish but doesn’t smell a onionish, don’t eat it. It may kill you.

4. Studying satellite imagery for interesting soil types and rocky outcrops is a great way to hunt for rare plant locations.

5. Look more closely at the tiny plants you step over.

6. Penstemon is the most diverse genus that is endemic to North America!

Part 2 of our 3 part journey featured 12  of them, including this gorgeous King’s Beardtongue (Penstemon kingii) from Utah.

This evening Part 3 takes us to the southeast to meet, among others things, loads of carnivorous plants. Sundews, flytraps, and pitcher plants — oh my!

#botanyroadtrip #botanizing #botanist #nativeplants #rareplants #carnivourousplant #penstemon

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