Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Olema 1906 Earthquake Fence

1906 Earthquake Fence

'Cause the fence start shaking, the earth was quaking.

Olema, California

Added By
Sarah Brumble
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Earthquake Fence   David McSpadden / CC BY 2.0
  Lisle Boomer / CC BY-ND 2.0
  Desertrattfink / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

At 5:13 am on April 18, 1906 the San Andreas fault slipped, creating an earthquake that famously set San Francisco ablaze.

The Richter scale had not yet been invented at the time of the quake, but more recent estimates put it at a 7.9 or 8.0. The earth literally rifted apart for 300 miles from San Juan Bautista to Mendocino, California, and though the epicenter had been near the Bay, tremors were felt as far north as Coos Bay, Oregon. In response to the widespread destruction, teams of scientists explored California's geography in search of its cause.

These geologists found some of the most prominent evidence from the quake in the area now known as Point Reyes National Seashore. Directly beneath this coastline runs the San Andreas Fault. The scientists who scoured this area found that the west side of the crack left in the earth was feet higher than that of the right, and had shifted dramatically to the northwest.

Contemporary visitors to the park can walk the half-mile "Earthquake Trail" from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to the famous Earthquake Fence. While it may seem like a drunkard originally plotted the fence, prior to the quake it had actually been one continuous stretch of pickets. Along the hike, you cross the epicenter of the quake. Today, there is a 20-foot gap between two sections, separated in the blink of an eye when 270 miles of the Pacific Tectonic Plate slid northwest.

Related Tags

Natural Disaster Earthquakes 1906 Earthquake Disasters Geological Oddities Geology

Know Before You Go

Follow Highway 1, either northbound or southbound and access the park via Sir Francis Drake Boulevard or the Point Reyes/Petaluma Road.

Community Contributors

Added By

littlebrumble

Edited By

Desertrattfink, Michelle Cassidy, kennabenena

  • Desertrattfink
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • kennabenena

Published

April 18, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5347831
  • http://www.nps.gov/pore/naturescience/faults.htm
  • http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/resourcenewsletter_1906earthquakecentennial.htm
  • http://gocalifornia.about.com/bl_ptryphoto_pm.htm
  • NPS staff
1906 Earthquake Fence
1 Bear Valley Road
Olema, California, 94950
United States
38.0439, -122.79067
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Point Reyes Boat

Inverness, California

miles away

Alamere Falls

Bolinas, California

miles away

The Marconi Conference Center

Marshall, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of California

California

United States

Places 1,510
Stories 136

Nearby Places

Point Reyes Boat

Inverness, California

miles away

Alamere Falls

Bolinas, California

miles away

The Marconi Conference Center

Marshall, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of California

California

United States

Places 1,510
Stories 136

Related Stories and Lists

In the Footsteps of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

By Annetta Black

City Guide: 1906 Earthquake

essential guide

By Sarah Brumble

Related Places

  • Cameron, Montana

    Earthquake Lake

    An apocalyptic seismic event creates a deadly chain reaction that ends with a 6-mile long lake developing within weeks.

  • Plaques along the trail at Earthquake Park share information about the event and its lasting effects on the region.

    Anchorage, Alaska

    Earthquake Park

    The now-serene site of the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America.

  • The tsunami stone of Aneyoshi Village

    Kesennuma, Japan

    Tsunami Stones

    Stone slabs along the coast warn of Japan's tsunami-ravaged past, often marking the highest point of a wave's reach.

  • Map depicting Kentucky Bend’s isolation

    Tiptonville, Kentucky

    Kentucky Bend

    Kentucky's anomalous peninsula projecting into the Mississippi River, site of legendary earthquakes and local feuds.

  • San Francisco, California

    Portals of the Past

    The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

  • San Francisco, California

    Site of 1906 Earthquake Refugee Camps

    Approximately 250,000 people left homeless by the great earthquake and fires found shelter in Golden Gate Park.

  • Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

    Tianliao Moon World

    Visit Taiwan’s badlands, which allows visitors to feel like they’re walking on the moon.

  • Russia

    Ulakhan-Sis Range

    A remote Arctic mountain range is home to "granite cities" found almost nowhere else.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.