We know you can spend hours or even days just experiencing the Avenue of the Giants, but don’t overlook some of the other attractions just a few miles north or south – you’ll enjoy even more of the scenery, history, and ecology the Humboldt Redwood Coast offers. The Redwood Riverwalk Hotel’s location in Fortuna means it’s your perfect choice for a longer destination vacation in California’s redwoods. In addition to the many ways to explore the Avenue of the Giants, including easy or challenging hikes, you’ll find numerous places to access the Eel River for fishing, swimming, kayaking or canoeing. Remember, there are convenient places along the Avenue of the Giants to opt for the faster Route 101 instead – from Fortuna, you can reach the northern entrance of the Avenue in only 10 minutes via 101.
Heading south from Fortuna, you’ll reach the town of Scotia before you reach the northern entrance to the Avenue of the Giants at Pepperwood. One of the country’s longest surviving ‘company towns’, it was established in the 1880s by the Pacific Lumber Company, and by 1929 had grown to be the second largest community in Humboldt County. Today, its 19th century architecture, look-alike cottages, and sense of history take you back just a century in time, before you travel through millennia to the Redwoods. The Scotia Museum highlights logging and lumber operations in the area through its exhibits, videos, and interactive technology. At the Scotia Fisheries Exhibit, you’ll find the largest open-air freshwater aquarium on California’s North Coast stocked with salmon and steelhead trout at different stages of development.
Scotia Museum
125 Main St, Scotia, CA
Open: Memorial Day – Labor Day Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Phone: 707- 764-4252
Scotia Fisheries Exhibit
22 Main Street, Scotia, CA
Open year round Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Phone: 707- 764-4492
On the Avenue of the Giants near Scotia, you’ll find the Eternal Tree House. Unlike the Redwoods through which you can drive, this still-living Redwood stump’s cavern was used for shelter by Native Americans and early settlers. In the early 1900s, the tree was felled for lumber, and Harry McLeod hewed out the cavern to create the 20-foot underground tree house you can visit today (free admission).
Eternal Tree House
26510 Avenue of the Giants, Redcrest, CA
Phone: 707-722-4262
When you reach the southern entrance to the Avenue of the Giants, a 15 minute drive south on 101 will bring you to Richardson Grove State Park, one of California’s first redwood parks. Stop at the newly remodeled Visitors Center for a free one-hour pass for the gentle Grove Nature Trail, highlighting the features of redwood groves. There are longer and more challenging hikes as well, and you can swim or wade in the South Fork of the Eel, designated a national ‘wild and scenic’ river, or try your luck fishing for catch-and-release salmon and steelhead.
Richardson Grove State Park
1600 U.S. Highway 101, #8 Garberville, CA
Call for seasonal hours. Phone: 707-247-3318
At Leggett, 20 minutes farther south on 101, you’ll find the Chandelier Tree, the sturdiest and most photogenic of the tunnel trees through which you can drive. Named for its three giant branches that tower 100 feet above the ground, the 2,000 year old tree stands 315 feet tall. In addition to the tree tunnel (wider than the Shrine Tree), this privately-owned attraction offers trails, a deer park, duck pond, picnic area, and gift shop.
Chandelier Tree
67402 Drive Thru Tree Rd, Leggett, CA 95585
Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
Hours vary seasonally – please visit their Facebook page for current information
Phone: (707) 925-6464
If you’ve spent the day exploring all these attractions near the Avenue of the Giants, it’s probably time to return to The Redwood for a relaxing dip in our heated pool while you plan your next day’s adventures. Luckily, the return trip on 101 is only about 75 minutes! We enjoy helping our guests learn about all our area offers vacationers. Let us be your home base, and we promise our hospitality will welcome you ‘home’ each day of your stay.
Photo courtesy of Humboldt Lodging Alliance
