There are street journeys that impress, after which there are ones that fully rewire your concept of scale. Driving by Northern California’s redwoods belongs firmly within the latter class.
These bushes don’t simply tower – they make all the pieces else really feel momentary.
This street journey is about extra than simply the bushes, although. It’s about coastal switchbacks the place the Pacific thunders under, fog-draped cliffs that disappear into the sky, and sleepy cities the place time ticks slightly slower.
Beginning in San Francisco and ending close to the Oregon border, this route blends sea air, winding forest drives and the sort of nature that leaves you quietly awestruck.
Count on peaceable mornings in misty groves, roadside diners straight out of Fifties postcards, and a good bit of craning your neck upwards.
Route Overview
San Francisco → Mendocino → Fort Bragg (non-obligatory) → Avenue of the Giants → Humboldt Redwoods State Park → Redwood Nationwide and State Parks → Crescent Metropolis
Superb journey size: 4 – 6 days
Greatest time to go: Could to October – for clear skies, dry trails and simply sufficient fog for ambiance
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Begin: San Francisco – city vitality earlier than the stillness
Kick off in San Francisco, which is much less about ticking off sights and extra about absorbing contrasts.
Victorian townhouses again onto start-up hubs, sea lions bark at vacationers on piers, and fog spills throughout the hills like one thing despatched in on cue.
For those who’ve bought time, swing by Alamo Sq., or seize a espresso within the Mission District.
Or higher but, take a guided eBike tour at Haight Ashbury and Golden Gate Park to expertise town’s eclectic neighborhoods up shut.
Then cross the Golden Gate Bridge, a pinch-me second that marks the true begin of the drive. As you permit the Bay Space behind, issues begin to gradual.
Freeway 1 hugs the cliffs and twists north, pulling you out of metropolis buzz and into coastal rhythm.
Cease 1: Mendocino – clifftop calm & inventive vitality
First in a single day cease: Mendocino.
This small coastal city is equal components wild and polished – assume rugged sea cliffs and windswept headlands combined with artwork galleries and natural bakeries.
The city itself has a New England really feel, all white picket fences and salt-worn timber, however there’s one thing distinctly Californian about the way in which the ocean meets the land right here.
Take the Bluff Path in Mendocino Headlands State Park for a windswept stroll with cinematic views.
It’s particularly good at sundown when the sky flares orange over the Pacific – an ideal setting for a skilled trip photoshoot.
For those who’re staying the night time, go for one thing cosy – a clapboard inn with fireplaces and native wine readily available.
The fog rolling in over dinner provides simply the correct quantity of drama.
Keep: For a characterful stick with coastal allure, guide Inns of Mendocino proper within the coronary heart of Mendocino.
Elective Cease: Fort Bragg & Glass Seaside
A brief drive north, Fort Bragg is extra industrial however price a pit cease.
The primary draw is Glass Seaside, the place many years of discarded glass have been polished by the ocean into glittering pebbles.
It’s a wierd and oddly lovely place – proof that nature can clear up even our messiest errors.
There’s additionally the Skunk Practice, a historic rail experience by the redwoods for those who’re trying to gradual issues down much more.
Cease 2: Avenue of the Giants – the drive you received’t overlook
From Mendocino, minimize inland in direction of the legendary Avenue of the Giants: a 31-mile stretch of previous Freeway 101 that snakes by Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
That is the place the bushes begin to dominate. You’ll cross giants which have been standing for over 1,000 years, their trunks so vast you could possibly drive a automotive by them (and at some kitschy vacationer stops, you actually can).
Pull over usually – the Founders Grove path is a superb brief loop with some actual heavyweights. The Dyerville Large, a toppled redwood longer than a Boeing 747, places all the pieces into perspective.
There’s no rush right here. The sunshine filtering by the cover, the silence aside from birds and the occasional rustle – it’s all a part of the expertise.
Cease 3: Humboldt Redwoods State Park – forest bathing, Californian model
The Humboldt Redwoods space is good for an extended hike or perhaps a night time beneath the bushes for those who’re travelling with a tent or campervan.
The Rockefeller Loop is one other mellow path that winds between monumental trunks, however for those who fancy one thing longer, attempt the Grasshopper Peak hike for correct elevation and views over a sea of inexperienced.
There are a number of rustic lodges close by for those who desire to not tough it – and nothing beats a night glass of wine with the scent of redwood bark nonetheless lingering in your garments.
Keep: For a pleasant and peaceable keep close to Humboldt Redwoods, guide at View Crest Lodge, an enthralling lodge nestled among the many bushes only a brief drive from the forest trails.
Cease 4: Redwood Nationwide and State Parks – the crown jewel
Subsequent, you’re into Redwood Nationwide and State Parks, a joint system of protected lands the place the largest of the large bushes develop.
This isn’t a single park however a patchwork of preserved forests stretching alongside the coast – and there’s nobody proper strategy to discover it.
Some highlights:
- Girl Chook Johnson Grove – brief, atmospheric, usually misty, and totally magical.
- Tall Bushes Grove – a permit-only path to among the world’s tallest identified bushes.
- Fern Canyon – a surreal, moss-covered canyon featured in Jurassic Park II, with partitions of ferns dripping from above.
You’ll need at the very least a full day right here, ideally two. The combination of dense forest and coastal sections makes it extremely assorted.
One second you’re beneath 100-metre bushes, the subsequent you’re staring out at elk grazing by the dunes.
For an enthralling keep close by, contemplate Freshwater Lagoon Retreat. It’s a fantastically located vacation dwelling providing gorgeous lagoon and ocean views only a brief drive from the park.
Remaining cease: Crescent Metropolis – seaside end line
Wrap issues up in Crescent Metropolis, a coastal city that seems like the sting of one thing – each geographically and in temper.
It’s a bit weatherworn, a bit windswept, and fully becoming as the ultimate cease on this nature-heavy journey.
The Battery Level Lighthouse, accessible at low tide, is a stunning strategy to finish the journey.
You’ll be able to stroll throughout the rocks and tour the lighthouse for tales of shipwrecks and wild Pacific storms.
There’s additionally a great handful of native diners, excellent for one final meal of chowder or fish and chips earlier than heading again south – or onwards into Oregon if the street remains to be calling.
Necessities
Driving time (with out stops): Approx. 9 – 10 hours complete.
What to pack: Layers, waterproofs, strolling footwear, bear spray if mountaineering deep into the parks, and a good playlist for Freeway 1.
Driving tip: Cellular sign could be patchy within the parks – obtain maps and path guides upfront.
Remaining ideas
This Northern California Redwoods street journey is a reminder that not all the pieces wonderful must be hyped.
The bushes right here have stood quietly for 1000’s of years, by fires, floods and no matter else nature may throw at them.
It’s a route for individuals who don’t thoughts lengthy silences, who like detouring for viewpoints, who really feel one thing shift once they stand subsequent to one thing historic and realise, only for a second, how small we actually are.
Drive gradual. Cease usually. Lookup.
