Photo provided by Humboldt State University.

Frequent joggers at Redwood Bowl may want to find a new spot to work on their summer bods.

Due to particularly harsh winter weather, the track is reaching the end of its life. 

But before the track can be replaced, HSU needs to develop a replacement plan and permit the design. The university will then receive bids from competing businesses to complete the project.

The design work should begin before the end of the Spring 2016 semester. But due to the lengthy design process, the track can not be replaced over the summer.

As a solution, HSU will perform basic maintenance in order to extend the track’s life for one more year.

In the meantime, here are some nearby LoCO approved jogging spots: 

  • Clam Beach
  • The Humboldt Bay Trail
  • The Arcata Community Forest
  • The Arcata Bottoms
  • The Arcata Plaza (many laps recommended for best results)
  • The Arcata Community Center
  • The Founders Hall staircase
  • Any sidewalk anywhere

Humboldt State Department of Marketing and Communications:

Access to Humboldt State University’s track in Redwood Bowl will be reduced as interim repairs are carried out and a replacement process gets underway. 

The track surface in Redwood Bowl has been experiencing increasing maintenance and repair issues. While these types of issues have been frequent in recent years, this winter has been particularly hard on the track surface, which has outlived its useful life and now requires replacement. 

Replacing the track begins with the campus developing a replacement plan and permitting the design. Then the project must undergo a competitive bidding process. The design work is set to begin prior to the end of the semester, however, due to the amount of time this phase takes along with the required amount of time for construction, the work will not be completed by the summer 2016 construction season. 

In the meantime, interim repairs will be made to the track to extend its life by one year. The track’s condition is constantly changing depending upon usage and weather. As a result, more restrictive use guidelines or temporary closures may be necessary to carry out repairs required to ensure the facility remains useable and safe. 

The track will remain open to the campus, HSU Intercollegiate Athletics, and the community, but with the closure of lanes 1-3, which are the most heavily damaged. This will affect the campus and local community in various ways, including:

• General University Use: In general, use will be restricted to lanes 4, 5, and 6. HSU Grounds Crew will set up barricades restricting access to lanes 1, 2, and 3 as these are the lanes in the worst condition. Facilities Management will regularly inspect conditions and correct any barricade placement as needed. 

• HSU Athletics Use: Intercollegiate Athletics teams will have use of lanes 1, 2, and 3 one day per week.

• Use by Arcata High School: AHS will have access to to lanes 4, 5, and 6. In addition, track practice will occur two days per week (Mondays and Thursdays beginning the week of February 29th) through the end of the high school track season. 

• Use by the General Public: Members of the public will continue to have access to Redwood Bowl and the track, however, use will be restricted to lanes 4-6 as noted above.