Tour of the Unknown Coast ends after nearly 50 years

Ferndale’s Tour of the Unknown Coast will not return, closing nearly 50 years of one of Humboldt County’s most punishing and best-known rides. The decision ends a route that sent cyclists from the Humboldt County Fairgrounds into the hills, across the Avenue of the Giants and out toward Petrolia before climbing back up Mattole Road.

The ride began in 1977 as a friendly competition among local riders and was officially launched in 1978. Over time, Tour of the Unknown Coast Inc. grew the event beyond its century ride to include 50-mile, 100K, 22-mile and 10-mile options, turning it into a fixture of Humboldt’s cycling calendar and a regular draw for riders willing to take on the county’s steep grades, remote pavement and changing weather.

The signature century course measured about 97.9 miles and was billed by organizers as one of California’s toughest 100-mile courses. Its route included bad pavement, steep climbs, twisty descents, The Wall and the Endless Hills, finishing in front of the Turf Room at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale. The Avenue of the Giants 100K covered 62 miles with 3,300 feet of climbing, moving riders through Ferndale, Rio Dell, Scotia and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

The 2024 ride was scheduled for Sept. 21, with check-in at the fairgrounds. After that, a new team of five volunteers took over management at the end of 2024, but they found the nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status had been revoked. That created insurance and liability barriers that kept them from putting on a 2025 event. The organization said the nonprofit had also fallen behind on required IRS Form 990 filings, lost tax-exempt status in 2023 and could not get its standing restored.

Tour of the Unknown Coast Inc. said it was closing the affairs of the nonprofit and would not host the event again. That leaves Ferndale without a longtime September tradition that brought riders, support crews and visitors into town, and it removes a source of support for other Humboldt County nonprofit organizations. For local businesses and volunteers, the loss is practical as well as emotional: one more legacy event has become harder to sustain in Humboldt, even one with nearly half a century of history behind it.