Avenue of the Giants

July 2 – 10, 2021

In our previous post we were “wine-ing” our way around Mendocino County, California. In this post, you find us further north in Humboldt County – home to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. There be giants here!

Redcrest

Our home base for this segment of our trip was Redcrest, California – a small town situated on the Avenue of the Giants scenic parkway. We stayed at Ancient Redwoods RV Park which we really liked. They had a very nice office/gift shop and their own named redwood tree – the 1000 year old Immortal Tree that survived fire, flood, and axe (although it has been topped).

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Our site was paved with lots of grass and a reasonable amount of space. For once, the site was situated so that we had afternoon shade and could really enjoy sitting outside. The only negatives of the park were the lack of cell phone service and limited and slow internet access.

We had some wonderful neighbors (Dennis and Joyce from Prescott, AZ). They invited us over a couple of evenings for a concert – Dennis (who has played professionally) on guitar and vocals, Joyce on percussion (sitting on and slapping a box-shaped drum called a cajon). What a great way to spend the evenings!!

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Prior to this trip I had never seen a redwood so I was really excited for the opportunity to go walking through the woods.

Drury-Chaney Loop Hike

Our first walk through the trees was along the Drury-Chaney Loop Trail near Pepperwood – one of the most popular Avenue of the Giants trails. This was a nice easy 2 1/2 mile level stroll. The trees were absolutely amazing and so tall that it hurt your neck trying to see their tops. Unfortunately the photos just can’t capture the immensity of the trees or the essence of walking among them.

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Something about the walk reminded me of the speeder chase through the trees on the Ewoks planet in Star Wars The Return of the Jedi. (The footage was actually shot in Cheatham Grove in Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park a few miles north west of where we were. Cheatham Grove resembles Humboldt Redwoods but doesn’t have the monster trees and is slightly more open and lush.)

Shelter Cover

After spending one day in the woods, we decided to spend the next day exploring part of the Lost Coast. Our target was Shelter Cove.

Near Shelter Cove on July 21, 1907, the coastal passenger steamer Columbia collided with the steam schooner San Pedro amidst dense fog. The Columbia subsequently sank, killing 88 people. Although badly damaged, San Pedro stayed afloat and helped to rescue Columbia’s survivors.

Because of the very steep terrain on the coastal areas surrounding Shelter Cove, the highway builders constructing State Route 1 (the “Shoreline Highway”) decided it was too difficult to build the coastal highway along a long stretch of what is now the Lost Coast. As a result, the small fishing village of Shelter Cove remained very secluded from the rest of the populous state, despite being only 230 miles (370 km) north of San Francisco, and is accessible by boat, via small mountain road, or by the small Shelter Cove Airport.

As a result of its seclusion, the Shelter Cove area has become a popular spot for those seeking quiet vacation respite or retirement area. Popular activities in the area include fishing, whale watching, hiking, diving for abalone, and other outdoor activities.

wikipedia

Bill handled the “small mountain road” mentioned in the quote above admirably. It is a very twisty 25 mile long two lane road from Garberville/Redway to Shelter Cove.

Our first stop once we arrived was the Cape Mendocino Light House, a 43 foot sixteen sided, double balcony iron tower. The Light started service in 1868 on Cape Mendocino but was relocated to Point Delgada near Shelter Cove in 1998.

We walked a bit of the coastal trail near the lighthouse and Airport runway and then drove along the coast with stops at the Tidal Pool, Seal Rock, and Little Black Sand Beach.

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Before leaving town we had lunch on the patio of the Gyppo Ale House where we watched their 4th of July parade from afar.

Founders’ Grove

For our next outing we decided to concentrate on the southern end of the Avenue of the Giants. We stopped first at the Dyerville Overlook – where Dyerville stood prior to being wiped out when the South Fork of the Eel River flooded in 1955.

From there we continued on to Founders’ Grove where we hiked the 1.3 mile Founders’ Grove Nature Trail.

The Founders’ Grove is the most-visited grove in Humboldt Redwoods and a major North Coast redwood attraction. It’s popular because it’s conveniently (maybe too conveniently) located right next to a Highway 101 offramp on the Avenue of the Giants, and it’s also truly an exceptional sight.

The grove is perhaps most notable for its sheer size. From most locations on the loop trail, the big redwoods extend as far as you can see in every direction. No other lowland grove feels quite so expansive.

Founders’ Grove

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After Founders’ Grove we continued on to Weott where we stopped at the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center – home of the Travel Log.

The park is home to the world’s first RV, Charles Kellogg’s Travel Log, handmade in 1917 from a fallen chunk of a redwood log and mounted on a 1917 Nash Quad truck, the toughest, most rugged vehicle of its kind at the time.

Kellogg was a vaudeville-style performer, who could, quite literally, sing like a bird, and a naturalist who became increasingly concerned about the fate of the redwoods he loved.

From 1917-1921, Kellogg took his Travel Log on the road. He drove it across the country four times, coast-to-coast, bringing word of the redwoods to people who had never heard, let alone imagined, there could be such trees. He spoke of the accelerated logging taking place in the redwood forests, made impassionate pleas for the trees’ preservation, and spread the word about a fledgling organization looking for members. It was called the Save the Redwoods League.

savetheredwoods.org

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At the southern end of the Avenue of the Giants we continued on US 101 to Piercy to see the Grandfather Tree.

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We took a brief rest stop on the way back to Garberville for lunch. Here’s a view of our big truck under the nearby trees.

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Ferndale

The next day we headed north on US 101 to the Victorian village of Ferndale. We first drove a narrow road out to Centerville Beach County Park for a foggy and chilly beach walk.

Then we drove back to Ferndale to enjoy the Victorian architecture, shops, and restaurants.

Nestled between the California Redwoods and fabled Lost Coast, the Victorian Village of Ferndale is a hidden oasis of small town charm, spectacular architecture, enchanting natural beauty and welcoming Humboldt County culture. With its fusion of old-fashioned Americana and modern quirkiness – and a scenic setting straight out of the movies – this small but vibrant dairy town near Eureka is the perfect destination for a fun family vacation, rugged outdoor adventure or romantic weekend getaway.

visitferndale

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What a gorgeous village!

Rockefeller Forest and Tall Trees

For our final trek among the giants in this area we headed out to Rockefeller Forest with the intent of hiking the Rockefeller Loop Trail. Somehow we missed the pull-off for the trailhead and ended up driving an extremely narrow 2 lane road to Big Tree Area. There we followed the trail across a creek to Tall Tree (359.3 feet tall, 13.4 feet diameter) and Giant Tree (363 feet tall, 16.9 feet diameter).

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We eventually found the trailhead for the Rockefeller Loop on the way back and spent some time on that hike before returning to Redcrest to view the Eternal Tree House. Sorry but we weren’t impressed. However we did find Big Foot hanging around.

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Do we have to leave?

We really loved this area and were reluctant to leave. Fortunately we were moving north to a location near the Redwood National and State Park. Don’t be surprised if our next post contains some tree photos.