California Redwood Country Stops and Sights

Mist floats through primeval forest. Gargantuan trees soar into the sky. Carpets of green ferns wave in the breeze. It’s little wonder that George Lucas chose California’s redwood country to play a galaxy far, far away. In Humboldt County’s string of national and state parks, explorers find stratospheric coast redwoods—the world’s tallest living things—plus some notable eateries serving delicious fare that’s decidedly more down-to-earth.

The 32-mile Avenue of the Giants quickly immerses motorists in the dense, ancient forests of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Memorable highlights in this park filled with 3,000 year-old trees include ghostly albino redwoods that survive only by entwining their roots with healthy trees; a visitor center that features the Travel Log, a conservationist’s 1917 motor home carved from a 6-ton redwood trunk and outfitted with a chassis; and Founders’ Grove, where downed trees offer a much more up-close perspective than their upright peers.

Eel River Cafe in Garberville is everything its retro neon sign suggests: cozy booths, personable wait staff, and lumberjack-size dishes made from scratch. During the week, the specials board fills with Mexican dishes such as fried eggs smothered in a chocolaty mole sauce with a side of warm homemade tortillas.

The varied landscape of the 14,000-acre Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park encompasses pristine beaches, distinctive redwood stands, and grassy meadows frequented by Roosevelt elk, which can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Bring galoshes to splash deep into Fern Canyon, a gently sloping streambed bordered by 50-foot-high walls of rare ferns and lush green moss.

Baskets of plump fish and chips top most tables at the Lighthouse Grill, a spiffy seafood shack in seaside Trinidad. But don’t miss the signature waffle cone stuffed with mashed potatoes and piled giddily high with bacon, brisket, gravy, and cheddar cheese or the house made ice cream.

Visitors are unlikely to catch a glimpse of one of the world’s tallest trees, Hyperion, an ancient coast redwood over 380 feet tall whose location in Redwood National and State Parks is classified info. But the not-so-secret Trillium Falls Trail is no mere consolation prize. Hikers who walk the 2.5-mile loop through immense old-growth redwoods to see its namesake, a scenic cascade down moss-covered boulders, will see why the park merits its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At Paskenta Mad River Brewery, an indigenous-woman led, tribally owned craft brewery in the picturesque old logging town of Blue Lake, burgers made from local grass-fed beef pair well with the award-winning Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, a spicy golden ale with floral hops and mild bitterness.