Sure, you can simply stick your head out the window of your car to see towering trees lining Avenue of the Giants, a 32-mile-long, redwood-trimmed stretch of Highway 101. But we strongly suggest you pull over, get out, smell the piney air, hear the burbling creeks and rivers, and look way, way up to truly appreciate these amazing trees, as well as the emerald-green habitat where they live.
Conveniently, there are plenty of places to do that along the way, most notably in 53,000-acre Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Avenue of the Giants actually runs right through the park, so you can easily turn off to explore on an assortment of loop trails, like the 7.5-mile Bull Creek Loop, which lets you get a mini-glimpse of the remarkable Rockefeller Forest, home to the world’s 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th tallest trees. Also visit Founders Grove, honoring the people behind the formation of Save the Redwoods League in 1918, an organization that played a critical in the permanent protection of these remarkable trees.
