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California Day 1

Crescent City to Healdsburg

  • 28
  • 05:59
  • 303 mi
  • $48
Take This Trip

Created by dlytle056 - April 29th 2018

1
16mi 00h 20m
Photo of Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox Statues
4.3

15500 Highway 101 N, Klamath, CA, US

Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox Statues

1

Come to Klamath and experience this 49-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan and the 35-foot-tall Babe the Blue Ox, both of which are visible from Highway 101. Constructed largely of wooden beams, chicken wire and stucco, the current Babe was built in 1950 and the current Bunyan was built in 1961. The original Bunyan was built in 1946 but was destroyed by rain that winter. In late 2007, the 1000-pound, 9-foot-wide head of Babe fell to the ground as a result of rotting materials damaged from rain. The head has since been replaced.

2
5mi 00h 08m
Photo of Tour-Thru Tree
4.0

430 CA-169, Klamath, CA, US

Tour-Thru Tree

2

Located at the northern end of the Redwood Country near Klamath, the Tour-Thru Tree (named to avoid legal entanglements with the Drive-Thru Tree) offers a picnic table so that you can eat while watching others join the club you just joined.

3
1mi 00h 04m
Photo of Douglas Memorial Bridge - Historical Memorial
3.9

Klamath Beach Road, Klamath, CA, US

Douglas Memorial Bridge - Historical Memorial

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4
19mi 00h 21m

Highway 101, Orick, CA, US

Redwood National Park

4

Redwood National and State Parks are a string of protected forests, beaches and grasslands along Northern California’s coast. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park has trails through dense old-growth woods. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is home to Fern Canyon, with its high, plant-covered walls. Roosevelt elk frequent nearby Elk Prairie. Giant redwood clusters include Redwood National Park’s Lady Bird Johnson Grove

5
0mi 00h 02m
Photo of Tall Trees Grove
4.1

Tall Trees Access Rd, McKinleyville, CA, US

Tall Trees Grove

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The popular Tall Trees Grove is best known as the location of the Libbey Tree, which at one time was the world's tallest known living thing. Although taller redwoods have since been found, the Libbey Tree is still interesting because it's the only one of the former Tallest Trees that you can actually see. The locations of all the other tallest trees have been kept secret. Like the other tallest trees, the Libbey Tree itself is completely unremarkable when seen from the ground, a double trunk so small that you probably won't believe you're looking at the right tree. Of all the major attractions in Redwood National and State Parks, the Tall Trees Grove is the most difficult to reach. To protect the grove, a limited number of cars per day are allowed access; permits must be obtained at Kuchel Visitor Center. Once you get your permit, it's a 45-minute drive to the trailhead, starting with a long climb up Bald Hills Road. You have to open a locked gate using a secret combination, then it's a 6-mile drive down a dusty (or muddy) gravel logging road. Finally, you have to walk 1.3 miles with a considerable elevation change to reach the grove.

6
2mi 00h 03m

Freshwater Lagoon is the northernmost and smallest of three similar lagoons within Humboldt Lagoons State Park, along the coast of Humboldt County, California.

7
2mi 00h 03m
Photo of Humboldt Lagoons State Park
4.6

15336 Highway 101, Trinidad, CA, US

Humboldt Lagoons State Park

7

In the early 1900's Dry Lagoon was drained by early farmers and several types of crops were attempted but none proved economical. Several dairy ranches were established along the shores of Stone Lagoon. Later, when the highway was improved, a motel-restaurant called the "Little Red Hen" was located next to the lagoon. This business continued in operation until 1979. The restaurant building was remodeled into a museum and park office and is now the Humboldt Lagoons Visitor Center and Bookstore. Today the marshland habitat has returned and supports a rich variety of marsh plants, birds and other animals. There are day use only picnic areas at the visitor center. The park offers boating, fishing, and hiking.

8
14mi 00h 16m
Photo of Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse
4.4

Edwards St At Trinity St, Trinidad, CA, US

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse

8

After modern counterparts replaced the original fog bell and Fresnel lens at the Trinidad Head Lighthouse in 1947, the Coast Guard donated the historic artifacts to the Trinidad Civic Club for display in a planned memorial park overlooking Trinidad Bay. Mrs. Earl Hallmark donated land for the park, and in 1949 the club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The historic Fresnel lens was installed in the lighthouse's lantern room, and the fog bell was suspended from a wooden frame built adjacent to the lighthouse. For its work on the memorial, the Trinidad Civic Club received the 1949 California Grand Sweepstakes Prize in Build a Better Community Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Women's Clubs and the Kroeger Company. Buy at Art.com In the early 1970s, the Trinidad Civic Club decided to establish a memorial at the lighthouse for those lost at sea. The memorial started as a marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," but has steadily grown through the years. In 1975, the club created a four-sided, pyramidal, rock-cement monument, located near the fog bell, that supports plaques inscribed with names of those lost at sea. Inscriptions were later added for those who were buried at sea, and the list of names soon outgrew the plaques on the small monument, so additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall. Each year on Memorial Day, friends and families gather to remember those whose names are recorded on the plaques. Originally, the fog bell was only rung at the Memorial Day gatherings, but through the generosity of Dave Zebo, a long-time resident and a former Mayor of Trinidad, the bell has been automated to toll each day at noon in memory of those buried and lost at sea. Click here to hear the bell toll a couple of times (the flag at the memorial was at half-staff due to the then recent passing of President Ford). In August of 1998, new windows and a new stainless steel dome were installed atop the tower thanks to the efforts of community volunteers and Tom Odom, former mayor of Trinidad.

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0mi 00h 02m

Trinidad, CA, US

Trinidad Head

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Trinidad Head (Yurok: Chuerewa' ) is a rocky promontory surrounded by sea stacks sheltering Trinidad Harbor, adjacent to the town of Trinidad in Humboldt County, California, USA, designated as California Historical Landmark #146.

10
10mi 00h 17m
Photo of World's Largest Totem Pole
3.8

1503 City Center Rd, McKinleyville, CA, US

World's Largest Totem Pole

10

I was once a living tree, standing in a grove of redwoods for 500 years before I was harvested by the Pacific Lumber Co. Ernest Pierson then carved me into a totem pole in 1962 for his new shopping center in McKinleyville. I stand 160 feet tall and weigh 57,000 lbs. I'm grounded in a base that weighs 214,000 lbs, so don't worry about me falling over. Some people mistakenly refer to me as the World's Tallest Totem Pole. I'm not. There are taller ones out there. Please note that when Ernie carved the giant plaque at my base, he didn't use the word "Tallest." He called me the "Largest." Given that I'm carved from a giant old-growth redwood, I'll wager that I am, in fact, the "largest" totem pole in the world. I'm also the "Coolest and Most Hip Totem Pole In the World" thanks to the contributions of artist Duane Flatmo. In the late 1990s, Flatmo was brave enough to climb into a bosun's chair, scale to the top, and give me a new paint job. If you look at all the characters on me, I'm really half Pierson, half Flatmo. I spend my days and nights watching over McKinleyville. Every year I let Santa know who's been naughty or nice.

11
16mi 00h 23m
Photo of Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
4.0

Highland Ave., Eureka, CA, US

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

11

Fort Humboldt is situated on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay. This remote military post was established in 1853 to assist in conflict resolution between Native Americans and gold-seekers and settlers who had begun flooding into the area after the discovery of gold in the northern mines. Later, Fort Humboldt would become the headquarters for the Humboldt Military District, which included Forts Bragg and Wright in northern Mendocino County, extending north through Humboldt County to Fort Ter-Waw in Klamath and Camp Lincoln near present-day Crescent City. It was during its first few years that Fort Humboldt was home to one of its most famous residents, the young Captain Ulysses S. Grant. After being decorated for bravery in the Mexican-American war, he was posted to several locations including Fort Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest. The isolation of Fort Humboldt did not appeal to Grant, and after serving as commanding officer of Company F for six months, resigned his commission. Fort Humboldt was formally abandoned in 1870 and rapidly fell into decay. Today, only the hospital building remains of the original fourteen structures. It is now an historical museum dedicated to telling the story of the Fort and the Native American groups, including the Wiyot, Hoopa and Yurok of this region. In the 1980's the Surgeon’s Quarters was reconstructed and there are plans for its establishment as a period house museum. In 2001 an historic herb and vegetable garden was recreated adjacent to the Hospital.The park also includes a Logging Museum and open air displays of historic 19th-mid 20th century logging equipment including the Dolbeer Steam Donkey; “Lucy,” the Bear Harbor Lumber Company’s Gypsy Locomotive #1; and the Elk River Mill and Lumber Company’s #1 “Falk” locomotive.

12
12mi 00h 14m

431-435 Fernbridge Drive, CA, US

Fernbridge

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13
22mi 00h 24m

28101 Avenue of the Giants, Redcrest, CA, US

The Immortal Tree

13

A sign for the "Immortal Tree" lures three-quarters of all Avenue of the Giants traffic to stop and look. An attraction with a name like "Immortal Tree" is just asking for trouble. Still, this almost 1,000-year-old redwood has survived lightning, fire, floods, and ax-happy junior Bunyans. A sign next to the trunk recounts its various brushes with death: lightning removed the top, the logger's axe had at it in 1908, forest fires and the notorious "Flood of 1964." The tree was once 298 ft. tall, and has been whittled to a still respectable 258 feet, with a base diameter of 14 1/2 feet. As visual aids to remind about its perils, an ax is attached about 10 feet up the trunk. Even higher on the tree is a metal fish, indicating the high water mark of the flood it survived.

14
7mi 00h 11m
Photo of Humboldt Redwoods State Park
5.0

Avenue of the Giants, Weott, CA, US

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

14

Located along the Eel River in northern California, Humboldt Redwoods State Park contains some of the world's most majestic ancient redwood groves. The park encompasses over 53,000 acres, including 17,000 acres of old-growth coast redwoods. In 1921 Save the Redwoods League dedicated the first Memorial Grove, Colonel Raynal C. Bolling Memorial Grove, in what is now known as Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Today the park contains a diverse coast redwood ecosystem, which includes Rockefeller Forest, the largest remaining old-growth forest in the world, and the entire Bull Creek watershed. With more than 250 camp sites, 100 miles of hiking, biking, and riding trails, and the scenic 32-mile Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt Redwoods State Park offers something for everyone. Whether you have just a single day to visit or a week long vacation to explore, a journey into the redwood forest is sure to be an awe-inspiring experience. The park is open year 'round and recreational activities are available throughout the four seasons.

15
2mi 00h 03m
Photo of Lost Coast Scenic Drive
4.5

Mattole Road, Ferndale, CA, US

Lost Coast Scenic Drive

15

The Lost Coast is California's only coastal wilderness, where no development or major roads come near the ocean. This wild and spectacular scenic drive is the closest you can come to the Lost Coast without a backpack. Drive from Victorian Ferndale, through high alpine forests, to the water's edge, along the northern edge of King Range and then to the redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State park. Road can be narrow, windy and bumpy in places.

Time: 4 HOURS ROUND TRIP

16
3mi 00h 05m

13708 Ave of the Giants, Myers Flat, CA, US

Shrine Drive-Thru Tree

16

The Shrine Drive Thru Tree has been attracting visitors for years. Located in Myers Flat, four miles south of the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center, it's an easy stop right on the Avenue of the Giants -- just look for the signs and the Gift Shop. There is a minimal fee to drive through the tree. Kids also like the two 2-story tree houses and the children's walk-through stump. "During the early 1920s, promoters of California’s tourism industry devised a clever way to entice visitors to see the captivating beauty of the redwood forests—cut a tunnel through a redwood and charge people a fee to drive their cars through to the other side. It was a great photo opportunity that quickly caught on. In time, there were drive-thru trees, drive-on trees, walk-through trees and even step-thru stumps. Three trees with open trunks remain, one near Humboldt Redwoods State Park on Hwy 101. All are privately owned, charge a nominal entrance fee and are open daily year-round."

17
6mi 00h 08m

6831 Avenue of the Giants, Miranda, CA, US

Avenue of the Giants

17

This world-famous scenic drive is a 31-mile portion of old Highway 101, which parallels Freeway 101 with its 51,222 acres of redwood groves. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt and is accessible to all with convenient services provided along the way. The Avenue of the Giants is surrounded by Humboldt Redwoods State Park which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world. Take time to picnic, camp, hike, swim, fish, raft or bike ride in the cool hush of these ancient redwood forests. Plus, you can drive through a redwood here...and really, who doesn't want to do that?

18
4mi 00h 06m
Photo of The Living Chimney Tree
3.6

1111 Ave of the Giants, Phillipsville, CA, US

The Living Chimney Tree

18

The Chimney Tree Gift & Coffee Shop is situated in a unique 1,500-year old hollow, living redwood tree. The shop features a gift shop where guests will find a variety of quality souvenirs, redwood gifts and custom embroidery T-shirts. Tour buses are welcome and ample parking is available. The facility offers air conditioning and restrooms with ramps. The Coffee shop serves food including the world famous 100% beef, gourmet burger. Also featured are homemade apple pie, famous fresh fruit shakes, or a frosty cone.

19
17mi 00h 19m

705 N Hwy 101, Garberville, CA, US

One-Log House

19

Hollowed out in 1946 from a single log, the Famous One-Log House was created from a redwood tree over 2100 years old! This section alone weighed 42 tons. It took two men eight months of hard labor to hollow out a room 7 feet high and 32 feet long. Enough chips came out of it to build a five-bedroom house! This special log home includes living, dining, & bedroom areas just like any other trailer or motor home.This Northern California redwood attraction has been a longtime popular attraction to young and old alike. Another amazing thing about this "house" is that its actually on wheels. Art Schmock, the creator, intended to have it tour across the country but ran into problems because of its size so it rested in Clam Beach for a time, then the town of Leggett for 25 years, and then twenty-three years in Phillipsville. Ready to travel again, it moved in 1999 to its current home on US Highway 101 just south of Garberville near Richardson's Grove State Park just on the edge of the Humboldt county/Mendocino county line. If you're interested in old-time logging practices of the redwoods, they have an antique drag saw, other small logging tools, and an antique logging photo collection to see.