A giant redwood tree forest conjures in the imagination visions of fairies, ferns Big Foot, and fictional dinosaurs. Reality is even more striking with air-filled cries of ospreys, hawks, eagles and ravens gliding over skyscraper tall trees and across emerald green rivers perfumed with the smell of redwood bark basking in warm sunshine. It is an intoxicating life experience like no other. All of this natural grandeur is yours for the taking on various free unguided but generously marked tours. This tour is about the a stretch of road called the Avenue of the Giants located in Humboldt County, California about 250 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 101.
There are two types of free tours: car and hiking. Both are well marked and easy to follow and navigate.
By car, starting at the southern end of the Avenue near Phillipsville, the 31-mile scenic tour provides for many stops and opportunities to explore the beautiful flora and fauna and local shops and small towns. Before you start the drive, while in Phillipsville, visit the Chimney, a 78-foot redwood tree gutted by fire.
You can follow the prescribed tour with 8 stops and visit interpretive exhibits, snack at picnic sites, or explore some of the short trails just outside your car door. If you venture off the scenic drive a bit, you will find the Shrine Drive-Thru tree at Myers Flat, and near Redcrest the 2,500-year-old Eternal Tree House and The Immortal Tree.
By hiking, there are hundreds of miles of trails that wind in and through the giant trees. Many logs are fallen across small streams and for the sure footed a trek across one of the logs can be challenging and fun. To find maps of the trails, go to the Visitor Centers before embarking on walks. Some of the trails are: Founder's Grove Nature Loop with the Dyerville Giant log and the 356-foot Founder's tree, Rockefeller Loop Trail in Rockefeller Forest, Bull Creek Trail South, and Grasshopper Multiuse Trail.
There are two types of free tours: car and hiking. Both are well marked and easy to follow and navigate.
By car, starting at the southern end of the Avenue near Phillipsville, the 31-mile scenic tour provides for many stops and opportunities to explore the beautiful flora and fauna and local shops and small towns. Before you start the drive, while in Phillipsville, visit the Chimney, a 78-foot redwood tree gutted by fire.
You can follow the prescribed tour with 8 stops and visit interpretive exhibits, snack at picnic sites, or explore some of the short trails just outside your car door. If you venture off the scenic drive a bit, you will find the Shrine Drive-Thru tree at Myers Flat, and near Redcrest the 2,500-year-old Eternal Tree House and The Immortal Tree.
By hiking, there are hundreds of miles of trails that wind in and through the giant trees. Many logs are fallen across small streams and for the sure footed a trek across one of the logs can be challenging and fun. To find maps of the trails, go to the Visitor Centers before embarking on walks. Some of the trails are: Founder's Grove Nature Loop with the Dyerville Giant log and the 356-foot Founder's tree, Rockefeller Loop Trail in Rockefeller Forest, Bull Creek Trail South, and Grasshopper Multiuse Trail.
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