Through Ancient Groves That Touch the Sky

US-101 threads northward through the heart of the Redwood Empire — a 370 km corridor where coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), the tallest living organisms on Earth, rise over 100 m from fern-carpeted forest floors in cathedral-like groves that have stood since the Roman Empire. Only about 5% of the original two-million-acre old-growth forest survives, and this highway connects nearly all of its greatest remaining stands — from the 53,000-acre Humboldt Redwoods State Park and its 31-mile Avenue of the Giants, through the wild coastline of Redwood National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980), to the primeval Jedediah Smith groves where the Smith River, California's longest undammed waterway, flows crystal-clear beneath 300-foot canopies. Between the ancient forests, the road skirts Victorian Eureka, the fishing village of Trinidad, and 65 km of wild Pacific coastline where Roosevelt elk — the largest elk subspecies in North America — graze in meadows beside the road and summer fog drifts through the trees, supplying up to 40% of the water these giants need to survive.

Key Stops

Leggett & the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree Where the Pacific Coast Highway meets US-101, the town of Leggett provides the gateway to the redwood world. Drive-Thru Tree Park features the Chandelier Tree, a 96 m (315 ft) redwood approximately 2,400 years old with a tunnel carved through its massive trunk — still alive and growing. The surrounding 80-hectare grove is wrapped in misty silence, with only occasional shafts of sunlight penetrating the broad canopy. Entry is $15 per car; the park is open daily 8:30 AM to dusk.

Richardson Grove State Park The first major old-growth encounter heading north, where US-101 passes directly through the heart of an ancient forest. This 730-hectare park shelters some of the last accessible old-growth redwoods, including trees up to 3,000 years old and over 90 m tall, along with the 9th largest coast redwood. The South Fork of the Eel River — part of the National Wild and Scenic River System — runs through the park, offering swimming holes in summer and salmon runs in winter. Nine miles of trails loop through the cathedral-like groves.

Avenue of the Giants A 50 km (31-mile) stretch of historic highway paralleling US-101 through the densest concentration of ancient redwoods on the planet. The road crisscrosses the modern highway as it passes through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, with abundant pullouts and a self-guiding auto tour suggesting nine stops. Many of these trees stand taller than the Statue of Liberty and have been growing for over 2,000 years. More than 100 memorial groves along the route bear the names of the conservationists who helped save them, and the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree at Myers Flat ($6 per car) offers another tunnel-through-a-living-tree experience.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park At 21,500 hectares, the largest state park in northern California and guardian of the world's largest remaining contiguous old-growth coastal redwood forest. The 4,000-hectare Rockefeller Forest — purchased in 1931 with Rockefeller family funds — is the crown jewel. Founders Grove features an easy 0.8 km loop trail past the Founders Tree and the Dyerville Giant, a 110 m champion that toppled in 1991 with a crash that registered on a nearby seismograph; the sight of this fallen Goliath remains one of the park's most moving experiences. The visitor centre (open daily) features interactive displays and a motorhome carved from a single redwood log.

Eureka A charming bayside city whose whimsical name ("I have found it!") recalls gold rush days. More than 10,000 Victorian homes line picturesque streets, crowned by the Carson Mansion (1884–86) — a Queen Anne extravaganza considered among the most ornate homes in America, now the private Ingomar Club (exterior viewing only). Old Town's restored waterfront district of museums, shops, and eateries fronts Humboldt Bay, California's second-largest natural harbour, where kayaking, oyster-farm tours, and harbour-seal watching reward visitors. Blue Ox Millworks ($15 admission) demonstrates Victorian-era woodworking with antique machinery.

Trinidad A foggy fishing village perched above a picturesque harbour, with crab shacks, seafood restaurants, and fishing charters lining the docks. Trinidad Head rises 110 m above the ocean — a steep trail to the summit passes a white granite cross marking the spot where Spanish explorers first claimed the region in 1775 and offers winter-to-spring grey whale watching. The Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, a replica of the 1871 original, was formally rededicated at its new harbourside location in October 2025 after coastal erosion forced its relocation.

Redwood National Park Signed into being by President Johnson and expanded to 43,000 hectares by President Carter, this wilderness of giants protects prairies, woodlands, and 65 km of wild coastline. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail — an easy 2.4 km loop dedicated by President Nixon in 1969 — threads through stately old-growth redwood and conifer forest, no permit needed. The Tall Trees Grove (free permit required, reserved online at least 24 hours ahead) descends 240 m through 7.2 km of trail to some of the park's tallest specimens along Redwood Creek. Hyperion, the world's tallest tree at 116 m (380 ft 10 in), lives somewhere within the park but its location is closed to visitors — hiking to it carries fines up to $5,000.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park The first of three state parks within the World Heritage complex, famed for its extraordinary blend of forests, prairies, and hidden beaches. Herds of Roosevelt elk — males weighing up to 500 kg with metre-wide antlers — graze with serene indifference on the tall-grass prairie bordering the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. The park's crown jewel is Fern Canyon, a 1.6 km walk between 15–25 m walls draped in five species of ferns — the location so impressed Steven Spielberg that it was used in Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World. Fern Canyon permits are required May 15–September 15 (free online reservation, or $12 day-of at the Gold Bluffs Beach kiosk).

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park North of Prairie Creek, the highway crosses the broad Klamath River — famed for autumn Chinook salmon migrations — and enters a primeval forest of redwood, alder, and spruce stretching to the water's edge. Each spring, a sumptuous understorey of rhododendrons, azaleas, and wildflowers blazes with colour. The Damnation Creek Trail descends 400 m over 6.4 km (round trip) from US-101 through spectacular old-growth forest to a secluded rocky cove — widely rated the top hike in the entire park system for pure redwood immersion.

Crescent City & Battery Point Lighthouse The drive's coastal finale, where a C-shaped harbour is known for chilly sea breezes and breathtaking mountain vistas. Battery Point Lighthouse, first lit in 1856, is accessible only at low tide via a causeway that disappears as the water rises — check tide tables before visiting ($5 donation; daily April–September, weekends October–March). The region's Easter lily farms produce the vast majority of the nation's bulbs.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Named for the mountain man who was the first European American to travel overland from the Mississippi to California, 4,000-hectare "Jed Smith" is the northernmost and least visited of the great redwood parks — and among the most beautiful. Stout Grove, a flat 0.8 km loop through 44 hectares of 90 m old-growth trees, is considered by many the single most spectacular grove in the entire redwood system. Howland Hill Road, a narrow 16 km unpaved route built in 1850, passes through some of the most atmospheric old-growth forest anywhere. The crystal-clear Smith River — California's longest undammed river — offers swimming, kayaking, and steelhead fishing through the park.

Driving Tips

• Expect summer fog along the coast — visibility can drop sharply, especially mornings June through August; headlights on, reduce speed, and note that fog typically burns off by late morning; inland groves like the Avenue of the Giants tend to be sunnier
• No entrance fee for Redwood National Park — one of the few major national parks with free entry; state park day-use areas charge $12–$20
• Reserve Fern Canyon permits in advance (May 15–Sep 15) — free online through the Redwood Parks Conservancy; day-of kiosk access is $12 cash only
• Tall Trees Grove requires a free permit reserved online at least 24 hours ahead (up to 180 days in advance) — a gate code is provided with confirmation
• Howland Hill Road and Davison Road are unpaved — not suitable for large RVs or trailers; standard cars are fine in dry conditions but drive slowly
• Maintain at least 15 m distance from Roosevelt elk — bulls can be aggressive during the August–October rut; never approach calves
• Watch for banana slugs on trails — California's official state slug (designated 2024) can reach 25 cm long; they're vital to the forest ecosystem, eating competing plants while leaving redwood seedlings untouched
• Fill up on fuel in Eureka or Crescent City — services are sparse between towns, especially along the Avenue of the Giants and through the national park corridor
• Carry rain gear year-round — annual rainfall reaches 150–200 cm (60–80 inches); November through March is wettest, but showers can occur any month
• For more information visit: National Park Service — Redwood