At the August 5th Eureka City Council meeting, council unanimously voted to approve this request, to make it official. See the council video clip of this agenda item here.
A few life facts about Melvin -
- born September 27th, 1933 in Mountain Lake, MN
- passed away June 7th, 2013 in Eureka, CA
- served in the US Navy
- worked as an electrical worker for many years, and proud union member
After retiring Melvin was a passionate environmental advocate in the Eureka/Humboldt Bay region. His primary passion was the Elk River area, which was the driving force to honor this trail in his name. Melvin was a strong advocate behind the Elk River wildlife area , being upgraded to a sanctuary in 2003. Melvin was very active in speaking at Eureka City Council meetings, educating citizens and government entities alike.
At the Aug 5th council meeting, many citizens and environmental groups spoke publicly in favor to approve this request. One example of this was Larry Glass, President of the Northcoast Environmental Center – sharing support on behalf of the NEC for this request. Larry said “I miss Mel, he was a good friend of mine, great guy, and worked tirelessly to protect this area”. In Aug of 2013, after Mel’s passing the NEC contributed an article to highlight the wonderful legacy of Mel on the North Coast.
Where is the memorial trail located?
The Melvin “Cappy” McKinney Memorial loop trail in located mid-way on the Hikshari trail in Eureka, CA. You can find more general info about the Hikshari trail on TrailLink.com, which includes a map, access points, etc. The Hikshari trail is paved, and the Melvin Mckinney trail is a gravel surface. The memorial trail is a semi loop with two access points along the Hikshari trail. A beautiful segment of trail that is a wonderful place to reflect on Mel as you move about the Elk River area. Parking is an option for both automobiles, and secure bicycle parking at the mid-way right by the memorial trail. As seen in the TrailLink map, the dotted line on the map highlights the memorial loop.
