Take the Philipsville
exit off of the California's Redwood Highway (US-101) coming from the
south (or see this tour from North to South) to take a 32-mile scenic
bypass tour through the famed Humboldt Redwoods State Park known as
the Avenue of the Giants. This stretch of tree-lined roadway
contains a series of scenic and tourist attractions that will leave
you feeling that you have really seen the Redwood Forest of
California.
Almost immediately
after taking the exit, you'll see signs for the Avenue of the Giants.
Just off the road as you enter the Avenue of Giants, you'll see a
roadside sign where you can obtain a free pamphlet containing an Auto
Tour of the Avenue of Giants. The pamphlet isn't tremendously
useful, but does give you a little map and some historical
information. Listed below, we'll take you through the major
attractions of the Avenue of the Giants.
Avenue of the Giants Roadside Attractions
The Chimney Tree
(Philipsville) - Located in what the owners now call Hobbitton, after
the Lord of the Rings characters, this 78 foot, 12 and a half foot
diameter redwood burned out in 1914. What's left is an
underground room inside the tree, that is something like a Hobbit
would live in. Remarkably, the tree is still alive.
Admission is Free.
Bolling Grove - The first of many groves of Redwoods along this
road, you can stand in the middle of the grove and get your first
taste of the Redwoods of California.
Shrine Drive-Thru
Tree (Myers Flat) - This 5,000 year old tree stands a massive 275
feet high and is a whopping 21 feet in diameter. A road has been
cut through the middle of the tree, and you can drive through it.
Also on-site are the Two-story treehouse, the Drive-on Log, Children's
Step-through Stump, the Shrine Cathedral Tree where several Redwoods
have grown together to produce an altar-like effect. Admission
is $1.50 per person.
Taste of Humboldt
(Myers Flat) - Next to the Shrine Drive Thru Tree is home to the
Riverbend Cellars Winery, where you can partake in Wine Tasting and
shop for locally produced goods.
Humboldt Redwoods
State Park Visitors Center - The visitors center contains quite a
few exhibits of the Redwoods history, as well as several exhibits set
up for kids, such as where you can make animal footprints, guess types
of animal pelts, or see stuffed representations of many native species
to the Redwoods area. There are guided nature walks and
presentations during the summer, as well as rangers present to give
you information.
Burlington
Campground - This campground is worth mentioning not only for
camping, but just to take a walk through the campground and see the
size of many of the trees and stumps that exist within the campsites.
Adjacent to the visitors center, it's worth a walk through - if you're
camping, this is a good place to try. it's small, but those
trees!
Founders Grove
- This grove is worth a stop for sure. A half-mile nature trail
takes you past the 346 foot tall Founders Tree, the 362-foot tall,
1600 year old Dyerville Giant that was the world's tallest tree until
it fell during the winter of 1991, and through groves of other massive
redwoods. The trail is primarily a flat, wide gravel path.
The Immortal Tree
- This 1,000 year old tree got it's name because no matter what
happens to it, it can't be taken down. it's survived being
struck by lightning, a logger's axe, a forest fire in 1908, and the
massive flood of 1964. The tree is marked by a roadside sign.
Rockefeller Forest
- The 10,240 acre forest is one of the largest old-growth forests in
the world. The forest houses some of the park's monster redwoods
- each over 360 feet tall and some up to 17 feet in diameter.
This forest is a short side-trip off the Avenue of the Giants - it
sneaks up on you, so make sure you don't miss it.
At the North End of
the Avenue of the Giants, you'll hook back up with the Redwood Highway
(US-101) and continue through California's Redwood Wonderland.
