Avenue of the Giants
 

Hello,

I hope this isn't a stupid question. We'll be driving from Lassen to Redwood National Park (camping near Crescent City) around 8am on Thurs July 25. Assuming we arrive in the RNP area around 1pm, we'd obviously like to make the most of the day without tiring ourselves out for our hikes on Fri and Sat. Thinking about grabbing lunch and driving the Avenue of the Giants before we set up camp. What would be your recommendations on how to approach this--where to eat, where do we start the drive, where should we stop along the way? Who knows--perhaps you wouldn't recommend the Ave as an afternoon activity?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Decide if you want to stop and see the "Trees of Mystery".
The gondola ride up through the trees is good.
Any chance you could stretch your trip to include Crater Lake or the Oregon Caves?

Hmmm... not really a roadside-attraction kind of gal...but looks, er, interesting! Thank you!

From Crescent City it is about 25 miles to the north end of the Avenue of the Giants and you will drive through Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park to get there. There isn't much to see along the way other than magnificent countryside. Crescent City is the best place for lunch and provisions.

Crescent City is also about 10 miles from Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, which is another great place.

However, if you drive 299 from Lassen NP, you will pass the Avenue of the Giants on your way to Crescent City.

HTtY

PS Is there a particular reason for making Crescent City your destination?

We couldn't get a campsite in the parks (all booked up), so a Fodorite recommended Kamp Klamath. Hope that's not a mistake...

I think no worries about Kamp Klamath- there are no magnificent views but we all enjoyed (there was a group of about 20 of us)

Hope you won't be disappointed

We did not do the gondola ride at Trees of Mystery but apparently there is a very nice Native American museum there. I did not visit but those who did were quite impressed- just in case you run out of things to do.

Good to know. My travel companion is a big advocate for the native americans, so I think he would be very interested.

One more question: RNP vs Prairie Creek? And which hikes (approx 4-5 miles total) do you like at the park of your choice?

We're visiting Jedidiah on another day, but have one day to devote to either RNP or Prairie Creek.

We hiked from the Klamath River Overlook ( not far from Kamp Klamath) to Hidden Beach- very nice hike but we had set up a shuttle so we only had to do one way. You might consider doing just part of it. The views from the overlook are amazing- there is a short trail down to another overlook- where I have always been able to see whales feeding down below.

I group of us spent the whole day there a couple of years ago waiting to view the solar eclipse- we were able to watch the progression during the day but the fog and clouds rolled in for the grand finale and we saw nothing.
The whales were very active that day and those with good cameras were able to get some good
pics.


http://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/things2do.htm

<i>However, if you drive 299 from Lassen NP, you will pass the Avenue of the Giants on your way to Crescent City.</i>

299 ends in Arcata, about 60 miles north of the Avenue of the Giants which is in Humboldt State Park.

If cuatrospruce is insisting on a route that includes The Avenue of the Giants, he should Google map or use www.viamichelin.com and specify Weott as an intermediate point between Lassen and Crescent City.

Avenue of the Giants is way out of the way if coming from Lassen even if one takes Hwy 36. There's plenty of great redwood groves in Redwood National and State Parks so it's best to spend your time there.

Michael, Thanks for catching my mistake. I was thinking 36.

<i>Avenue of the Giants is way out of the way...</i>

True, as is the rest of the post, but some sections of Avenue of the Giants are very special. Problem: I can never remember which sections they are.

Every time we visit the redwoods we have a new good experience. A few months ago, one night after dinner, we drove on 36 from Fortuna to Grizzly Creek Redwods State Park--a very pleasing thing to do.

HTtY

Thanks, Otis, for your succinct answer. Done. No Ave of Giants for us.