Mattole Road. Ferndale to / from Honeydew. | Warning
United States
Details
- Verified:
- 9 months ago
- GPS:
- 40.57364, -124.26878
- Altitude:
- 13.6 masl
- Contributor:
-
/blogs/30252
Amenities
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Description
Dangerous Road from Honeydew to Ferndale with the possible exception of the section that is right along the lost coast.
-Very steep grades.
-Pot holed to the point of pavement failure in many places.
-Not marked as a off road trail, however in many spot the road turns into a dirt gravel trail.
-Noted three times that the paved road ended around blind curves with no warning. Loss of control is a very real possibility in wet weather condition.
-Large / heavy vehicles such as RV's Motorhome's should not use this road.
-If you do decide to use this road, use low gears and or tow / hall mode to avoid overheating / warping your brakes.
Having driven in all 50 states I can say that this is one of the worst public roads in the USA.
The people of Humboldt County should be proud of there public works department.
Photos
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Latest Check-Ins
Taking this road took a while - 1.5 hours from Ferndale to coastal campsite on IOverlander and 2 hours from campsite to honeydew. The Ferndale road had steep parts where the road also was slipping away slightly. Lots of large potholes and steep camber. Wouldn’t recommend for big rigs. Last few miles before the campground are washboard and large rocky bridge to go over. The Honeydew road was in worse condition with steep switchbacks and areas where the road was sand. Roadworks ongoing so conditions could change. Overall a difficult drive if not an experienced driver. Be careful not to overheat!
Report Check-InWe came in through Ferndale and went out via Honeydew in our 2007 22 ft C Class and stayed 2 nights at the most northern beach pullout shown on IO. Took it slow and easy. About 1.5 hours from 101 to get in and 2 hours to get back to 101 at the giant redwoods. Trickiest part was about 2 miles of snow on the way out of Honeydew. Otherwise just your average, poorly maintained mountain road with sharp switchbacks and some shallow potholes. Less than half a mile of gravel in total. We found nothing too scary or vehicle breaking. Will do it again when the snow melts.
Report Check-InDid the trek to the coast via Humboldt Redwoods and Honeydew. and that road was pretty tough in terms of high elevation and switchbacks, my brakes were burning on the way back down. The road to/from Ferndale was a breeze in comparison. I think the caution is warranted on the Honeydew side due to much crappies road conditions and tougher elevations, but Ferndale is not a big deal
Report Check-InThis review is a little dramatic or it’s a local trying to discourage people from driving this beautiful road. I came in and out of Ferndale so can only speak to the north route. Did it in a fwd ram promaster but a civic could do this road. Yes, it’s bumpy in places, narrow and steep but totally worth it and not that bad. Drive carefully and you’ll be fine
Report Check-InThis road IS very rough in places and probably should be avoided by large trailers and rigs, especially at night. I do have to add though that we have a van and while it was slow going in places, it was not much of an issue and is similar to other poorly maintained county roads we've taken. There were lots of regular cars and trucks driving the route. Unfortunately Google and Apple Maps route folks here with no warning at all.
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