Where is the best place to see the Redwoods? - Montana Owners Club

jrgwdenner · 09-09-2005, 06:12 PM

We have a short time to visit the Redwoods on our drive from the Oregon coast to the rally at Reno. Where is the best place to visit to see them?

melnjoy · 09-09-2005, 06:17 PM

Judy,
I don't have your answer for you, but I really am interested in what everyone else may have on this, as we will be traveling along the West Coast quite a bit this next year, and would like to see as much as possible. I'm sure you'll get a lot of feedback on this topic, as there are a lot of MOCers from down there.

Joy

vickir · 09-09-2005, 06:36 PM

Judy ... we went to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park last year ... recommended by HamRad, by the way. Absolutely amazing! Steve tells me its on US Hwy 101, in Northern California. We stayed in Myers Flat, CA. If you need more info, email me and we'll dig around and see what we can come up with.

Parrothead · 09-09-2005, 07:30 PM

Judy,
We just made this trip a couple of years ago. There is an Avenue of the Redwoods or something like that. Like Vicki I don't have my stuff I saved handy. Hwy 101 is the place to be for sure. From Humboldt on down a ways. Let me research some and I think I can tell you.

D and M On The Road · 09-09-2005, 07:57 PM

The 31 mile road designated "Avenue of the Giants" is one of my favorite places. It's breathtaking but I wouldn't take a Montana on it as the road is narrow and is lined with large trees that sometimes lean over the road. If you can find a nearby place (RV Park) to leave your 5th wheel at, it's worth the travel time. Here's a few links:

http://www.aveofthegiants.com/

http://www.avenueofthegiants.net/finalmap.html

http://www.sunnyfortuna.com/explore/redwoods.htm

http://www.danheller.com/redwoods.html

Parrothead · 09-09-2005, 08:04 PM

Doug or Margee
That's the name - I was close. This is such a great trip. Give yourself some time Judy because there are a couple of places to stop and see things as well. We took the whole day. Enjoy!
Happy trails...................

D and M On The Road · 09-09-2005, 08:16 PM

Here's a couple more links. I think (not sure) the top link is the only campground in the area that can accomodate a large RV and it has hook-ups.
The other area campgrounds are primitive (don't have hook-ups) and accomodate either up to a 24' RV, or if lucky... a 33' RV.

http://www.rvdestinations.com/giantredwoods/

http://www.humboldtredwoods.org/

http://www.reserveamerica.com/jsp/co.../newindex.html

Happy trails to you.

jrgwdenner · 09-10-2005, 04:17 AM

Wow, thanks, everybody. I think you did my work for me. What an awesome group!

315RLS · 09-10-2005, 04:55 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by jrgwdenner

We have a short time to visit the Redwoods on our drive from the Oregon coast to the rally at Reno. Where is the best place to visit to see them?

I'd agree with Doug & Margee on the Avenue of the Giants. Another nice spot if you're going through San Francisco is Muir Woods http://www.nps.gov/muwo/

vickir · 09-10-2005, 06:47 AM

Judy ... just re-read my Postcard from our time in that area and, as everyone else here has said, it is the Avenue of the Giants. There is a wonderful Visitors Center there with very helpful volunteers. We parked at the Giant Redwoods RV Park & camp in Myers Flat, not very far at all from the State Park (the one in the link D and M posted). It was nice, plenty of room ... full hook-ups and its own "beach" on the Eel River. There's a 24-hour central modem on a covered porch where I also was able to watch lots of hummingbirds as they ate at the feeders hung from the trees around the porch.

jrgwdenner · 09-10-2005, 07:30 AM

Wow, that sounds like an ideal place, Vicki. We'll look into it.

jrgwdenner · 09-10-2005, 07:39 AM

Now the question for those of you who know the area. We've looked at two routes to Reno, the northern one through Susanville? It requires us to backtrack close to 70 miles. The southern route through the Sacramento area would be shorter by 88 miles if we go through Yuba City to save a few miles. We know nothing about the terrain/elevations of these routes so any help would be great. We'd also be interested in the scenic route if it's not too much longer. Which route to Reno would you take? I know this was discussed before, but in light of the diesel/gas crisis, what in your opinion would be the best drive for us. We will have about six days to make the drive.

toolmanroy · 09-10-2005, 07:57 AM

We can only answer this for one route, that is through Susanville because we just got back from Reno using that route. We left at 8 a.m. and arrived in Mt. Shasta at 12:30. It is a scenic route except for the 90 miles on 395. From Mt. Shasta we go I-5 up to southern Oregon. DandMontheroad can answer the question from Sacramento to Reno because that is the way they go.

Just for everyone's information, there is another place to view the Redwoods (Avenue of the Giants in Klamath, CA is still the best) if you are going 199 from CA to Grants Pass. It is called Stout Grove and is marked somewhere near Jedidiah Smith State Park. It is worth a stop.

http://virtualguidebooks.com/NorthCa...GroveTree.html

D and M On The Road · 09-10-2005, 07:59 AM

We haven't pulled our Monty thru the Susanville route so we can't help you out with that but there are some folks on here who have used that route and I bet they will come along and tell you about it.

We have pulled our Montana from the Sacramento area up I-80 to Reno several times and that's a good stressless route even though there is about a 15 mile construction zone on it right now.

jrgwdenner · 09-10-2005, 08:18 AM

Doug and Margee, do you know anything about the road through Yuba City? It seems like it would save us a few miles. We don't mind two lane roads. Haven't seen many in the past 2 1/2 months anyway.

drhowell · 09-10-2005, 08:47 AM

The Yuba City route (highway 20) is two lane pretty fair traveling with some curves and moderate grades. Mostly open grass and scrub oaks until you get near Nevada City. Neat older historical town. Then you hit I 80- just a few miles below the summit and major freeway into Reno. The Donner Summit has historical displays right off I 80. Not a bad choice.

I 80 out of Sacramento is heavy use freeway most of the way although it has some beautiful scenery, most of which you can see if you take highway 20 (Yuba City) to intersect with 80.

Mostly it depends on how much of the CA coast you want to see. If you come down the Oregon coast and just enter CA the first inland route is highway 199 and has a taste of the Redwoods as Toolmanroy says. Then you would stay on 199 to Grants Pass and I-5 to Mount Shasta and Highway 89 to Susanville via 44 then into Reno on 395. Good two lane and mild grades with lots of mountain scenery.

If you come on down the CA coast the next main route is 299 into Redding. A little better highway but the Big Redwoods (Ave of the Giants) are South of Eureka at Weott. If you want to hit them you would probably keep going south and cut over toward Yuba City on highway 20 just North of Ukiah past Clear Lake into Williams and over to Yuba City.

Anything South of Ukiah gets very busy with heavy city traffic.

If you want more info on one of these routes just let us know. Most locals have been on all of them at one time or another.

jrgwdenner · 09-10-2005, 09:57 AM

Drhowell, thanks, I think that is the info that we needed. For now, we'll looking at continuing south and driving through Yuba City as it seems to be the shortest route and a good road. Doesn't make sense to retrack 75 miles with gas prices what they are. And we would like to see the Avenue of the Giants up close and personal. We may just be ready to make some time down the road, even if the scenery isn't the most impressive. We've already seen some beautiful places.

drhowell · 09-11-2005, 04:28 AM

If you end up stopping overnight near the Oregon CA border the Jedidiah Smith state park is worth the time. It starts only 1 mile or so from 101 on 199 and goes for about 7 miles to the little town of Hiouchi. Best viewed without the trailer as there is limited parking to walk among the redwoods. As Toolmanroy said earlier the Stout Grove is worth the stop. Then take the North Bank Road back to 101 from Hiouchi. It follows the Smith River and has some nice homes, Golf Course and a few redwoods. Probably nothing that compares to the scenery you just left but for our neck of the woods its some of the best.

Happy travels and smooth roads for the rest of your trip.

jrgwdenner · 09-11-2005, 05:07 AM

Thanks, drhowell, for that suggestion. We'll put it on our list. By the way, are you a doctor or a farmer (he,he!)

drhowell · 09-11-2005, 05:38 AM

You are so observant. I had to go back and figure out what gave the doctor clue? DUH! No, not a doctor of medicine. The dr in drhowell stands for Don Richard or Donald Richard if you want the formal legal ver. Had to come up with a user name in a hurry when I first signed on to MOC and this one worked. The Farmer Don part comes from the 200 acre family farm I live on just out of Fort Jones, CA. Still working the farm but trying to slow down a bit. I don't think you can retire from a farm unless you sell out and move on. Hard to do after 60 years.

By the way. Anyone in the area looking for a place to park for a few days we have lots of room. I have a 30amp hookup and dump station that you can use. We are about 2 miles off State Highway 3 just So of Fort Jones. If you arrive at the right time I might even put you to work for a couple hours.

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