The Avenue of the Giants is a road in southern Humboldt County, California that parallels US Highway 101 and contains some of the longest unbroken stretches of Redwood forest in Northern California. The road is also known as Route 254, and mostly consists of the original part of Highway 101 before the modern route was built. The road is about 30 miles long, with its north end a little south of Fortuna, and its southern end a little north of Garberville. It passes through several small towns, none of them large enough to be incorporated: Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Weott and Redcrest. The road has many turnoffs where visitors can see groves of Redwoods, as well as access to the Eel River, including its main and south forks. There are many campgrounds, and several rustic hotels along the length of the road. Most travelers take the main highway, so the road is relatively quiet, with a wide shoulder, and I have walked about 16 miles of it.
While the scenery of walking in the middle of the gigantic redwoods was both stunning and peaceful, there are two things to be cautious of. First, ironically for a place that is a celebration of the natural world, this is a very automobile-centered road. There is no hiking trail that parallels it along its length, and so someone wishing to hike it will have to be aware of automobile traffic, especially on sharp curves. Secondly, the area is also the heart of the cannabis industry, and there are people who can be quite protective of their livelihood. Don't go down a gravel road in Humboldt County. Even though the road seems peaceful and beautiful to me, I also remember feeling a little bit cautious in the endless miles of the road. Oh, and as a third and obvious point, as a very rural location, there are very few services in the towns along the way: just a post office and a convenience store in most, and maybe a tourist restaurant in season.