The Avenue of the Giants is a

scenic highway A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoints ...

in northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States, running through

Humboldt Redwoods State Park Humboldt Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, containing Rockefeller Forest, the world's largest remaining contiguous old-growth forest of coast redwoods. It is located south of Eureka, California, near Weott in s ...

. It is named after the coastal redwoods that tower over the route. The road is a former alignment of

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

, and continues to be maintained as a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

as State Route 254 (SR 254).

Route description

The Avenue's southern terminus is at US 101 near Phillipsville, north of Garberville. Its northern terminus is at US 101 near

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in th ...

, south of

Fortuna Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...

. The Avenue is notable for the coast redwoods that overshadow the road and surround the area. It is from these towering trees that the Avenue of the Giants takes its name. The road winds alongside the scenic Eel River, and connects several small towns such as Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Burlington,

Weott Weott is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located north of San Francisco, California and due east of the Pacific Ocean. Lower Weott is situated at an elevation of along the Avenue of the Giants and in the flood p ...

, Englewood, Redcrest and Pepperwood. The two-lane road has a number of parking areas, picnic sites, and attractions for visitors. The nearby river provides many swimming locations, such as those at the Rockefeller Forest redwood grove. The route contains the site of the annual "Avenue of the Giants Marathon". SR 254 is not part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...

. SR 254 is eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System, but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the

California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the cabinet-level California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). Caltrans is headquartered in Sacram ...

Immortal Tree

Though not the oldest redwood in the forest, this large tree is at age

millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

, and is currently around tall, though originally it was much taller. It has survived not only the ravages of time but also the 1964 flood of the area, a 1908 attempt at logging, and a direct

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an average ...

strike which removed the top of the tree (making its original height close to 300 ft). It is from its age and the perceived hardiness to the fates that the tree derives its name. Markers are visible on the tree, denoting the heights of where the loggers' axes and the floodwaters struck the tree. Situated in the northern half of the Avenue, The Immortal Tree is easy to find, and has a large gift shop and parking area in front of it.

Founder's Grove

Near Weott, this grove has an easy 1/2 mile self-guided walk with informational booklets available at the beginning of the trail. This well-travelled trail is a good example of old-growth redwood forest and contains a few very big trees, including the Founder's Tree (346.1. ft. tall) and the Dyerville Giant (c. 370 ft. tall) which fell down in 1991.

Drive-Through Tree

Avenue of the Giants features a tree that visitors can drive through. Shrine Drive-Thru Tree is near the town of Myers Flat. The tree is privately owned; the owner charges $8 or more for a car to drive through it.

Tree House

Not a traditional tree house, this is actually a house that is, albeit partially, built within a giant redwood. Visible from the road, and with tours available, the front of this house is entered through the hollow trunk of a still-living tree. The front door and windows are clearly visible to passers-by, and the rest of the house adjoins the rear of the tree in a more traditional style.

Eel River and South Fork

The Eel River is the third largest river in California. It carves deep canyons down great mountains, through flat valleys, and past majestic and ancient redwood forests. The Avenue of the Giants follows the South Fork of the river, but also features the branching of the South and Main forks to its north.

History

The Avenue of the Giants was part of

until a freeway bypass was completed on August 27, 1960, assuming the 101 designation. The Avenue was then designated as CA Route 254 by ''Assembly Concurrent Resolution 10''.

Major intersections

Gallery

File:Founders Grove Loop Trail - Humboldt Redwoods State Park - DSC02496.JPG, Founder's Grove File:Riders POV in Avenue of the Giants, California.jpg, Rider's point of view File:HUMBOLDT STATE PARK, HUMBOLDT CTY, CA.jpg, The park File:Aveofthegiants.png, Chandler Grove File:Rockefeller Forest Sequoia sempervirens.jpg, Rockefeller Forest

In popular culture

The Avenue of the Giants was featured by

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing '' California's Gold'' and his human interest s ...

in ''Road Trip'' Episode 105.

References

External links

California @ AARoads.com - State Route 254Caltrans: Route 254 highway conditionsThe world-famous scenic drive is a 31-mile portion of old Highway 101.Photos of the Avenue
{{Eel River State highways in California Roads in Humboldt County, California U.S. Route 101 Named highways in California