Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna)
- mapped
- 151.3 mi
- mapped
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2025
- 31
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2025
- serious or fatal
- 11
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
Is Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna) open today?
- One-way traffic controlCarlotta · Emergency Work · East / WestMar 24 – Nov 30 · Caltrans
- One-way traffic controlButte Creek Bridge 4-116 · Bridge Work · East / WestMay 27 – Oct 15 · Caltrans
- One-way traffic controlCarlotta · Slide Removal · East / Westsince Jul 3, no end date listed · Caltrans
2 more closures listed later this week
- Lane closure (2 of 2 lanes)Main St/Antelope Blvd/Oak St → Rio St (Red Bluff) · Curb/Gutter/Sidewalk Work · EastMon 11:01 AM – Mon 3:01 PM; Wed 7:01 AM – Wed 6:01 PM · Caltrans
- One-way traffic control0.2 mi east of Basler Rd → 1.1 mi east of Basler Rd · Electrical Work · East / WestWed 7:01 AM – Wed 6:01 PM · Caltrans
Checked Fri, Nov 13, 10:11 PM Pacific. These lists don't include every closure: Forest Service gates and fire closures can be missing. All riding roads this week.
Is Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna) safe to ride on a motorcycle?
We don't rate roads as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a road is, and popular riding roads have more crashes partly because more people ride them. What the records show: 31 motorcycle crashes were reported along its 151.3 mapped miles from 2021–2025, 11 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). 77% involved no other vehicle. What to watch for: Very remote with long stretches without fuel or signal, rough patches, and logging trucks.
This week's weather
Loading forecast…
Motorcycle crashes and deaths on Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna)
31 motorcycle crashes were reported within 60 m of the road from 2021–2025: 11 killed or seriously injured someone, and 4 were fatal. 77% involved no other vehicle. Busier roads have more crashes partly because more people ride them, so these counts don't say how risky the road is.
Bends, straights and junctions
Outside city limits, 27 motorcycle crashes were reported on Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna) from 2021–2026, 1 of them within 40 m of a junction. Of the other 26, 15 (58%) were in bends tighter than a 100 m radius, which make up 29% of the road. So crashes gather in the bends, more than their share of the road. 13 of the 25 crashes with no other vehicle were in bends.
A crash alone in a bend usually means running wide or losing grip: set your speed before the bend, look through it, and expect gravel, sand or diesel mid-corner.
How we tell bends from straights, and every riding road compared
Camping near Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna)
Campgrounds and RV parks within about 5 miles of the road (straight line), nearest first. Seasons, fire restrictions and closures change, so check with whoever runs it before you go.
- Hike and Bike Campsite367 ft · on the road · feeOn the map
- Hell Gate CampgroundForest Service · 2,337 ft · 0.1 mi from the road · feeOn the mapWebsite
- Forest Glen CampgroundForest Service · 15 sites · 2,306 ft · 0.1 mi from the road · water, feeOn the mapWebsite
- Van Duzen County Park243 ft · 0.3 mi from the roadOn the map
- Red Bluff KOA JourneyRV park · 266 ft · 0.3 mi from the road · feeOn the mapWebsite
- Forest Glen Guard StationForest Service · 1 site · 2,555 ft · 0.3 mi from the roadOn the mapReserve
Campgrounds from Recreation.gov (federal campgrounds, 2026-10-18) and OpenStreetMap (2026-09-28); water, toilets and showers only where they're listed. Elevation from USGS.
Common questions about Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna)
- What is Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna) like to ride?
- Remote, endlessly twisty road across the Coast Ranges.
- How long is Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna)?
- About 151.3 miles as mapped in OpenStreetMap, for the stretch we cover.
- Is Highway 36 (Red Bluff to Fortuna) open today?
- As of Fri, Nov 13, 10:11 PM Pacific, Caltrans lists 3 closures on it today. These lists don't include every closure (Forest Service gates and fire closures can be missing), so check Caltrans QuickMap before you go.
Other riding roads nearby
Crashes: motorcycle crashes reported within 60 m of the road, 2021–2025, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS). Road: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Weather: National Weather Service. Distances to other roads are between their middles, in a straight line. How the data works.