Avenue of the Giants - Humbolt State Park, CA

View from the Jeep on the Avenue of the Giants

View from a trail through the redwoods

Looking up at the tree tops

Now you get a better idea of size....Kathy next to Founders Tree

Tree Height 346.1 feet, Diameter 12.7 feet

Kevin walking among the redwoods

The Avenue of the Giants is a 31 mile stretch of old Highway 101 that runs north from Redway, California. Until you actually drive on the highway, you can't image the size of these trees. It is sad to know that the redwoods were almost harvested to extinction in the 1920's. Fortunately for us, after 90 percent of the trees were harvested, there was a movement in California to save the redwoods. Consequently, many groves were protected in state and national parks.

It is amazing to drive among the redwoods but even more amazing to walk among them. If you are ever in San Francisco, your closest opportunity to see the giant trees is Muir Woods. I always thought Muir Woods was a magic place with big trees. I still think it is magic but compared to the northern coastal redwoods, the trees at Muir Woods are not all that big.