Only four hours north of San Francisco,
the Garberville area is the perfect base
for your cycling adventure to the surrounding
Redwoods. You can find lodging, restaurants,
shops, and a full entertainment calendar
along the Avenue of the Giants or farther
north in Ferndale and Eureka. More...
Only four hours north of San Francisco,
the Garberville area is the perfect base
for your cycling adventure to the surrounding
Redwoods. You can find lodging, restaurants,
shops, and a full entertainment calendar
along the Avenue of the Giants or farther
north in Ferndale and Eureka.
Cycling day trips can take you to the spectacular
redwood groves along the Avenue of the Giants,
the Lost Coast, the coastal community of
Shelter Cove, and the secluded King Range
National Conservation Area. Uncrowded parklands,
wildflowers and abundant wildlife provide
plenty of great outdoor recreational opportunities. Less...
The best time to visit Humboldt County and the
surrounding Redwoods is between May and
October Less...
Climate and
Weather
The climate
is moderate, with summertime temperatures
in the 70s and 80s. Winters are wet and
mild with occasional snow or frost (but
snow is actually rare). The elevation in
Garberville is 479 feet, and even lower
along the Avenue of the Giants, while some
of the surrounding coastal peaks such as
King's Peak rise to 4,087 feet. The air
is crystal clear and along the coast and
in open spaces (outside of the Redwoods)
you will most likely encounter prevailing
northwestern winds. Less...
How
to Get There
California
is served by a vast array of airports that
include international airports and dozens
of others serving the United States. The
international airports of Northern California
include Oakland International Airport, San
Francisco International Airport, San Jose
International Airport and the Sacramento
International Airport.
If you are traveling by air from out of
state, you will likely arrive at the San
Francisco International Airport. From there,
you have the option to take regional flight
to Eureka’s Airport and drive from
there south on HWY 101, or rent a car in
San Francisco and drive north on HWY 101.
From San Francisco (3:50 Hrs): Drive north
on US Highway 101 from San Francisco through
Santa Rosa to Humboldt State Redwood Park.
Look for the small resort town of Garberville
where you will find accommodations.
Traveling from the north (Oregon border)
take Highway 101 south. You will travel
through the towns of Eureka and Fortuna
before you reach the north end of Humboldt
State Redwood Park. From there, it is only
about 30 minutes drive to Garberville.
Approximate driving times:
From San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
- 3 hours 50 minutes
Accommodations
ranging from camping grounds to luxurious
B&Bs are available along the Avenue
Of The Giants and Hwy 101 from Garberville
to Pepperwood. Farther north you will find
plenty of accommodations in Ferndale, Eureka
and its vicinity. Less...
The Roads
The surfaces
of roads in the region are generally good,
although the roads can get narrow in places.
You may encounter some rough pavement sections,
especially along the lost coast highway
and on Mattole Road, care should be taken
on these roads. Less...
What
You Need To Know
It is estimated
that old growth redwood forest once covered
2 million acres (810,000 ha) of coastal
northern California. Today, only 4%, or
85,000 acres (34,000 ha), remain.
Coastal redwoods live an average of 600
years and a few are documented to be 2,000
years old, making them some of the longest-living
organisms on earth. They are highly resistant
to disease, due to a thick protective bark
and high tannin content. Redwoods prefer
sheltered slopes, slightly inland and near
water sources such as rivers and streams,
and are the fastest growing tree in the
world. Most of these giant trees can be
found at the Humboldt Redwoods State Park
which begins 228 miles north of San Francisco
and lies along US 101, mostly along its
west side.
To best appreciate the beauty of the native
redwoods you should ride the Avenue of the
Giants, a narrow, much less traveled route
that parallels US 101. It was built around
1880 as a stagecoach route, and has been
popular with tourists ever since. The whole
avenue is about 32 miles long, starting
at Phillipsville and rejoining the highway
101 at Jordan Road near Stafford in the
north. The central section of the avenue
undulates along the Eel river through the
park and encounters the most impressive
and largest trees in the world.
Although over the years a fair amount of
the original redwoods was cut for timber
there are still about one third of the trees
that are old-growth forest on average 500
years old. Many of the tree groves are named,
and often you will find a footpath at the
roadside inviting you to follow it in. The
redwoods are sustained by the summer fogs
and heavy rainfall that exceeds 50 inches
each year. Less...
