Tree huggers, take note: the sprawling redwood groves within Humboldt Redwoods State Park (parks.ca.gov; free) rival – and some say surpass – those in Redwood National Park, which is a long drive further north. The quickest, easiest way to enjoy the park is to exit Hwy 101 when you see the Avenue of the Giants sign and take the smaller, two-lane alternative to the interstate; it’s an incredible 32-mile stretch and there are plenty of great stops along the way.
If you're coming from the south, Stephens Grove is the first pull-out with truly impressive redwoods, which have grown up tall thanks to the nutrient-dense alluvial flat, or flood plain, on which they stand. Parking is easy and there's a short 0.7-mile hike – the Governor William D Stephens Loop Trail – that serves as a perfect introduction to the park. If you're interested in a longer hike within lesser-explored territory, drive another 6 miles north to the Children's Forest. This is another alluvial flat, and there's rarely anyone here, particularly if the seasonal bridge isn't up over the South Fork of the Eel River. The hike begins at the Williams Grove Day-Use Area (per vehicle $8), from which it's a half-mile to the river. After the crossing, the mile-long loop trail brings hikers into a grove that endured a large wildfire in 2003. After about a decade, the resilient forest regained its beauty, and the only evidence of the fire was a burned-up park sign.
Another 10 miles north you'll find Founders Grove, the most-visited area of the park thanks to its convenient location beside the Hwy 101 off-ramp. Unless you're dead set on doing the easiest and most popular thing, skip it and instead visit the nearby but lesser-explored Rockefeller Grove. Here you can contemplate nature in peace or jump on the Bull Creek Flats Trail, a 10-mile hike around what's been called "the world's tallest forest."
