The Last Chance Grade of US Route 101 refers to a segment of the highway in Del Norte County, California from Crescent City southward through Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. The Last Chance Grade traditionally has been a slide prone choke point through much of the history of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway. The history of the Last Chance Grade Prior to a highway being constructed over the Last Chance Slide overland transportation between Crescent City southward to Klamath River was virtually non-existent. Travelers and freight would arrive in Crescent City where it they would be loaded onto rowboats. The rowboats would follow the coastline southward and turn inland via the Klamath River to the village of Requa. Requa and the Klamath River served as the gateway to reach Klamath County (annexed into Humboldt County by 1874). This corridor between Crescent City and the Klamath River can be seen on the 1873 Bancroft's Road Map of California . The 1884 California O
Since 1949 Confusion Hill has been a major roadside attraction for travelers along US Route 101 and Redwood Highway. Confusion Hill is located on the South Fork Eel River watershed of Mendocino County. Confusion Hill was part of mainline US Route 101 until 2009 when the highway was shifted onto the Confusion Hill Bridges. Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and Redwood Highway at Confusion Hill The history of what would become US Route 101 ("US 101") at Confusion Hill begins with the approval of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act . The First State Highway Bond Act was approved by voters during 1910 and was the genesis point of some of the most notable highways in California. Legislative Route Number 1 ("LRN 1") as originally plotted was a new State Highway which was designated between San Francisco north to Crescent City. The route of LRN 1 would be extended to the Oregon State Line during the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act and was came be