Skunk Train in Willits, CA: rail bikes, food & rides

This little inland Mendocino County town is where the Skunk Train keeps its Willits Depot, where the best burrito for fifty miles is getting lightly pan-fried right now, and — as of May 2026 — where you’ll find the Railcoaster, a roller-coaster-style rail bike run through the redwoods that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

Why stop in Willits on the way to Mendocino?

SWillits sits right on Highway 101, roughly two hours north of San Francisco, under 90 minutes from Santa Rosa, and about three hours from Sacramento. 

From here it’s only about 30 minutes inland from Fort Bragg and the Mendocino Coast — which is exactly why it’s the perfect midway stop. Do your big activity in Willits, eat, then finish the drive to the coast.

The Skunk Train’s Willits Depot is right in town. 

It’s easy to park, and you can walk from there to Brickhouse Coffee, Northspur Brewing, and Shanachie Pub. I recommend getting a drink at Northspur before the ride.

When to go: 

The Skunk Train runs year-round, but the new Railcoaster runs spring through fall (Wednesdays, plus Friday–Sunday), so late spring through early fall is prime time. 

Summer is warm and dry inland — often sunnier than the foggy coast, which is a nice bonus.

Ride the Skunk Train — don’t skip this

The number-one reason to stop. 

The historic narrow-gauge Skunk Train has been running since 1885, winding through old-growth redwoods on the same 40-mile route its logging trains once used, crossing some 30 bridges along the way. 

It’s dog-friendly, it’s been called one of USA Today’s “10 Best Rail Tours in the Country,” and from the Willits side the classic ride is the Wolf Tree Turn — about two hours round trip into the forest.

The Highball Express  – evening on the rail

If the Railcoaster is the adrenaline pick, the Highball Express is its laid-back cousin: a 16-mile, 2-hour redwood rail cruise straight out of the Willits depot, with Mendocino County’s own beers, wines, and spirits flowing the whole way.

You settle in, drink in hand, and let the old-growth roll past — no pedaling, all relaxing.

We did it in the same evening as the railbikes, and it was the easiest, prettiest two hours of the whole stop.

Mendocino County Museum

Free (donations welcome), and a genuinely good hour before you hit the coast.

The museum covers local Native American history, the logging era, a Seabiscuit exhibit, and there’s a rail barn out back — solid context for everything you’re about to see in Mendocino County.

Ohl Redwood Grove Park

A quiet pocket of old-growth redwoods minutes from downtown — perfect for a short morning walk to shake off the drive before you get moving.

Most people do Willits as a day stop, but if you’re riding the Railcoaster (four hours, plus lunch) it’s an easy overnight.

We stayed at the Creekside Inn & Suites. It’s the reliable, walkable-to-downtown pick — clean, straightforward, and a short drive from the depot at around $130 a night. Plus, there was a water feature right outside of our room that lulled us to sleep. And the staff was super nice. 

Coffee & breakfast

Start at Brickhouse Coffee, set inside a converted historic bank building — the vault is still there. The honey lavender latte plus a jalapeño cheddar bagel is the move. 

For a proper sit-down, Kelly’s Diner does a classic California Benedict and a corned-beef Irish skillet. We went for breakfast last time we were there. 

Hitting the road early? 

Brewed Awakening is a little drive-thru that wakes up at 6am on weekdays. 

And if you want your breakfast in burrito form, Taqueria Jalos on Main St has horchata on tap, and was the best Mexican food I had had in a while. The natural juices really complemented the spicy sauce. Or Taquería Bravo — the cutest tiniest Mexican joint has an incredibly delish super burrito with chile verde. Ask for it lightly pan-fried; the carnitas are excellent too. 

Lunch & dinner

The biggest surprise in town is Hatake Farm Kitchen, a Japanese ghost kitchen tucked behind a pub with a perfect 5.0 rating. Farm-fresh sushi and seasonal bento using hyper-local ingredients — you order online, pick up, and eat on a bench outside. 

For lunch, Loose Caboose Cafe is a local institution — the meatball sub is apparently legendary. 

For dinner, The Munchery does farm-to-table smash burgers with locally sourced beef and a great patio.

Northspur Brewing Co. is the kind of place where you come for a beer and leave friends with the person who brewed it.

It’s a husband-and-wife operation — Jakob and Sarah Foley — and Jakob is exactly the brewer you want running your local: he taught himself to brew in a college rental in Santa Cruz (not in any class — just him and his roommates willing to drink the rough early batches), then went off and ran a seasonal brewery on a river deep in Chilean Patagonia before finally planting roots here.

The taproom leans all the way into the town’s railroad bones — the tables are built on actual train axles, sections of railroad rail run through the bar and railings, and it’s an open, garage-door-to-the-patio room with shared tables that basically make you make friends. Dogs welcome. 

• Morning: Coffee and a bagel at Brickhouse (peek at the vault), then a short walk in Ohl Redwood Grove to wake up.

• Midday: The main event — the Railcoaster (~4 hours, picnic lunch included) or the classic Skunk Train Wolf Tree Turn if you want something shorter.

• Late afternoon: Cool down on the Northspur Brewing patio, beer in hand.

• Head to the Highball Express for an evening return to the rails

• Dinner: Get post-Highball super burritos at Taquería Bravo.

• Night Cap: Live music and a local pint at Shanachie Pub.

• Sleep: Get soothed to sleep by the water feature at Cottage Inn before you set sail and drive 30 minutes west to the Mendocino Coast tomorrow.

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