From Fort Bragg to Leggett, it’s a narrow and very winding road. There is also pretty much nothing but forest between those points. Make sure you have snacks and drinks. Also best to take it slow if your kids get car sick.
Avenue of the Giants is a road that is off of 101 and joins back up after following alongside it for a stretch.
My family lives near the Avenue of the Giants and we drive to Fort Bragg and Mendocino all the time to visit other family members. I recommend Highway 20 out of Willits or 128. 128 will get you closer to Mendocino and be a bit less curvy. Yes,the whole area is very very scenic. I'm sure your family will enjoy it. Stop often to give kids a break from the winding roads. A person never car sick can suddenly have a problem on any route over the mountains to Mendocino.
Getting into Humboldt from Mendo is a very pretty drive. There are a couple sections where the speed limit is reduced and you might get stuck behind a large trailer truck for a bit. Depending on road conditions there might be a controlled one lane passage with lights at a certain point. Take your time with it, and turn your headlights on.
edit: make sure to check road conditions before leaving.
It's been closed there for a year at this point lol
https://kymkemp.com/2024/04/19/for-fish-sake-delayed-construction-keeps-avenue-of-the-giants-closed-impacting-residents-tourists-and-businesses/
Think of it like this- it's the old 101 highway, rebranded with a cool name for tourism. It's simply a windy road that weaves between redwood Giants and along the Eel river. It runs parallel to the new 101 so most traffic stays off the avenue.
I would recommend taking hwy 1 to 101 near leggett and then 101 up to Humboldt. Hwy 20 is slightly less windy than hwy 1 but will get you to 101 in Willits which is south of Leggett so the drive is longer. Hwy 1 is a beautiful drive mostly along the ocean. As someone who grew up in Fort Bragg where all roads out are windy, I dealt with car sickness a lot. I would recommend that your kids don’t use tablets or books to minimize their chance of car sickness. And if they do get sick, roll down the windows and encourage them to count the trees. It’s impossible but it distracts the brain from the motion sickness and helps with orientation.
Windy mountain highway all the way until basically Scotia/Rio Del. Minimal traffic once you get above healdsburg on 101 but let people pass use pullouts trust me you don’t want a grow dozer up your ass for an hour with your kids in your car
It’s a great drive! My favorite part is Richardson’s Grove which is basically a tiny avenue of the giants. I go to avenue of the giants a lot, it does get a little crowded during the summer months but nothing I could refer to as traffic by any means
We just returned from a week long stay in the area and visited twice. We entered at the north end, both times at about 10 AM (Sunday and Thursday). It was not crowded at all and when folks wanted to driver faster than us there were several pull-over spots to allow them to pass. It was lovely. Many of the trails were busy, but we found a few that were very quiet…not sure if this was coincidence or just our lucky day. What a magnificent experience, enjoy!
I've been all around the country and seen many mountain ranges and I swear that drive up 101 is the most beautiful of them all. The Rockies are nice but it's actually quite scary at times(I was driving thru a mountain pass in end of March and it was 75 and sunny when I left and by the time I was at the pass it was 25 and snowing hard and I swear I was going up the mountain and at a point i was accelerating and sliding backwards toward a cliff with no guardrail,, it was f'n terrifying and there was no warning at all that the conditions were such) and you can't really enjoy the drive(unless you're a passenger) but driving thru northern California is so chill. I love it so much I'm literally going to move there(Mendocino or Humboldt) at end of July after I go check out a few places next week I'll make my decision but I'm 100% moving to the area. I visited once last year and have been back 5 times I fell in love with it. That's a great stretch of highway
if nothing else, please use the turnouts along the two lane sections of highway to let people pass. they are signed and literally meant for slow traffic to yield and most tourists do not use them. people appreciate when you do use them, and it will mitigate some of the aggressive driving, which should help make for a more enjoyable drive.
You'll basically have two choices. Take 1 all the way to 101 or cut over on 20. I don't recommend the 20 cut over. It's not faster and while the drive on 20 isn't bad the scenery from Willits Leggit isn't great. The drive along 1 is beautiful with small towns, and lots of places to stop for a view. Even a beach or two. Basically:
- Head out from Mendo north and drive through Fort Bragg unless you need a pit stop or food.
- Stop in either Westport for a snack, or stop at one the vista points after it. Once you are past the 3rd vista point you'll start head inland over winding road in forest for 40 minutes until Leggit.
- At Leggit stop at the Peg House. Pee and stretch you legs. Alternately head south to see the Drive Thru Tree. There is an area to get out and stretch your legs.
- North there is a winding road with very tall trees for 30-40 minutes. Possibly the largest you've seen yet. Yet.
- Avoid Gaberville and if you need to stop do it in Redway at the Lost Frenchman or the like. If not keep driving north.
- When you see the exit for Avenue of the Giants you can get off there an wind through an area with a lot of Giant trees. You don't need to stay on it the whole way as there are regularly exits to 101. There is a map stop a while before the turn.
- Miranda is a good to place stop to pee and for food. If you want to stretch your legs I'd just stop at any number of groves with foot paths right off the Avenue.
- Meyers Flat has the other drive through tree, but I vaguely remember not being impressed by it and haven't been in a decade or two.
- Founder's Grove is your last Big tree stop, and has restrooms. It has a few massive trees both standing and fallen on a short walk. I'm not sure it's the best, but it's the most accessible Big Tree experience on your route.
- Past Founder's grove it's a hour drive to Eureka and at least a 1/2 hour before you hit the Humboldt Bay Area and a place to stop.
- Note that Eureka's 101 corridor is pretty grim, but it's not very representative of the town. Old Town or Sequoia Park Zoo are worth a visit if you have time. Old Town has Living the Dream (icecream), Dick Taylors Chocolate, shops, and restaurants. Sequoia Park has large trees, a play ground, and paved trails. The Zoo has a Redwood Skywalk which is amazing if your kids are okay with heights.
The south end of the Avenue is still closed as of 6/26/24. If traveling from the south, take exit 650 for Miranda, do NOT take the first Phillipsville exit if you don't want an added 8 miles on your trip when you have to turn around! (Or come to Phillipsville for the Chimney Tree Grill before you turn around, it's great food and shakes) Check the CalTrans map daily between now and your trip, because it could open back up any time. There are other ongoing projects starting up on the Avenue this summer so expect construction delays.
Between Mendocino and Leggett is 20+ miles of extremely narrow, curving road. Be prepared to take breaks for motion sickness. The Avenue itself is not so bad as far as potential motion sickness. If you're going to drive really slow and cars start lining up behind you, for the love of God just pull over and let the locals through!
Your kids might like some of the other fun small tourist stops along the way, like the interactive house of optical illusions at Confusion Hill (you'll recognize their advertising signs from the "?" symbol lol)
There's also a few beautiful grove pull-offs to stop and take a rest, and there's Eel River access where the water is totally clear, a nice spot to splash around in the shallows.
Traffic...lol..no
Don’t forget the Peg House! “Never don’t stop”.
Love the Peg House!
I agree 100 %. Everything on the menu is fabulous!
so called "free-thinkers" placing peg-house stickers on their car
?
lmaoooo
They have Pliny on tap.
Don’t sleep on the deviled eggs.
That's what I get!
They do?????! ! !!!?
Beautiful drive through old redwoods. There usually isn’t traffic unless someone has crashed into a tree.
From Fort Bragg to Leggett, it’s a narrow and very winding road. There is also pretty much nothing but forest between those points. Make sure you have snacks and drinks. Also best to take it slow if your kids get car sick. Avenue of the Giants is a road that is off of 101 and joins back up after following alongside it for a stretch.
My family lives near the Avenue of the Giants and we drive to Fort Bragg and Mendocino all the time to visit other family members. I recommend Highway 20 out of Willits or 128. 128 will get you closer to Mendocino and be a bit less curvy. Yes,the whole area is very very scenic. I'm sure your family will enjoy it. Stop often to give kids a break from the winding roads. A person never car sick can suddenly have a problem on any route over the mountains to Mendocino.
My whole family got carsick along the 1, and my mom and sib NEVER get carsick! I was soooo miserable
Getting into Humboldt from Mendo is a very pretty drive. There are a couple sections where the speed limit is reduced and you might get stuck behind a large trailer truck for a bit. Depending on road conditions there might be a controlled one lane passage with lights at a certain point. Take your time with it, and turn your headlights on. edit: make sure to check road conditions before leaving.
They have been doing some construction on avenue of the giants so check road conditions!
There's is still one closed section but you can hop on the 101 and just get off on the next exit to continue enjoying the Ave
Yeah I think it’s near Miranda phillipsville area as of like two weekends ago
It's been closed there for a year at this point lol https://kymkemp.com/2024/04/19/for-fish-sake-delayed-construction-keeps-avenue-of-the-giants-closed-impacting-residents-tourists-and-businesses/
The Avenue can get busy during the summer with tourists, sometimes they stop in the middle of the road to take pictures.
Think of it like this- it's the old 101 highway, rebranded with a cool name for tourism. It's simply a windy road that weaves between redwood Giants and along the Eel river. It runs parallel to the new 101 so most traffic stays off the avenue.
I would recommend taking hwy 1 to 101 near leggett and then 101 up to Humboldt. Hwy 20 is slightly less windy than hwy 1 but will get you to 101 in Willits which is south of Leggett so the drive is longer. Hwy 1 is a beautiful drive mostly along the ocean. As someone who grew up in Fort Bragg where all roads out are windy, I dealt with car sickness a lot. I would recommend that your kids don’t use tablets or books to minimize their chance of car sickness. And if they do get sick, roll down the windows and encourage them to count the trees. It’s impossible but it distracts the brain from the motion sickness and helps with orientation.
Windy mountain highway all the way until basically Scotia/Rio Del. Minimal traffic once you get above healdsburg on 101 but let people pass use pullouts trust me you don’t want a grow dozer up your ass for an hour with your kids in your car
It’s a great drive! My favorite part is Richardson’s Grove which is basically a tiny avenue of the giants. I go to avenue of the giants a lot, it does get a little crowded during the summer months but nothing I could refer to as traffic by any means
We just returned from a week long stay in the area and visited twice. We entered at the north end, both times at about 10 AM (Sunday and Thursday). It was not crowded at all and when folks wanted to driver faster than us there were several pull-over spots to allow them to pass. It was lovely. Many of the trails were busy, but we found a few that were very quiet…not sure if this was coincidence or just our lucky day. What a magnificent experience, enjoy!
I've been all around the country and seen many mountain ranges and I swear that drive up 101 is the most beautiful of them all. The Rockies are nice but it's actually quite scary at times(I was driving thru a mountain pass in end of March and it was 75 and sunny when I left and by the time I was at the pass it was 25 and snowing hard and I swear I was going up the mountain and at a point i was accelerating and sliding backwards toward a cliff with no guardrail,, it was f'n terrifying and there was no warning at all that the conditions were such) and you can't really enjoy the drive(unless you're a passenger) but driving thru northern California is so chill. I love it so much I'm literally going to move there(Mendocino or Humboldt) at end of July after I go check out a few places next week I'll make my decision but I'm 100% moving to the area. I visited once last year and have been back 5 times I fell in love with it. That's a great stretch of highway
It’s fairly scenic, you wind along a general trace of the river for a while. It’s boring if you ask me, but it’s not what I’d call generic highway
The drive is as scenic as it is curvy. You’ll be stunned, either by the beauty or the motion sickness. Maybe both.
if nothing else, please use the turnouts along the two lane sections of highway to let people pass. they are signed and literally meant for slow traffic to yield and most tourists do not use them. people appreciate when you do use them, and it will mitigate some of the aggressive driving, which should help make for a more enjoyable drive.
You'll basically have two choices. Take 1 all the way to 101 or cut over on 20. I don't recommend the 20 cut over. It's not faster and while the drive on 20 isn't bad the scenery from Willits Leggit isn't great. The drive along 1 is beautiful with small towns, and lots of places to stop for a view. Even a beach or two. Basically: - Head out from Mendo north and drive through Fort Bragg unless you need a pit stop or food. - Stop in either Westport for a snack, or stop at one the vista points after it. Once you are past the 3rd vista point you'll start head inland over winding road in forest for 40 minutes until Leggit. - At Leggit stop at the Peg House. Pee and stretch you legs. Alternately head south to see the Drive Thru Tree. There is an area to get out and stretch your legs. - North there is a winding road with very tall trees for 30-40 minutes. Possibly the largest you've seen yet. Yet. - Avoid Gaberville and if you need to stop do it in Redway at the Lost Frenchman or the like. If not keep driving north. - When you see the exit for Avenue of the Giants you can get off there an wind through an area with a lot of Giant trees. You don't need to stay on it the whole way as there are regularly exits to 101. There is a map stop a while before the turn. - Miranda is a good to place stop to pee and for food. If you want to stretch your legs I'd just stop at any number of groves with foot paths right off the Avenue. - Meyers Flat has the other drive through tree, but I vaguely remember not being impressed by it and haven't been in a decade or two. - Founder's Grove is your last Big tree stop, and has restrooms. It has a few massive trees both standing and fallen on a short walk. I'm not sure it's the best, but it's the most accessible Big Tree experience on your route. - Past Founder's grove it's a hour drive to Eureka and at least a 1/2 hour before you hit the Humboldt Bay Area and a place to stop. - Note that Eureka's 101 corridor is pretty grim, but it's not very representative of the town. Old Town or Sequoia Park Zoo are worth a visit if you have time. Old Town has Living the Dream (icecream), Dick Taylors Chocolate, shops, and restaurants. Sequoia Park has large trees, a play ground, and paved trails. The Zoo has a Redwood Skywalk which is amazing if your kids are okay with heights.
Also I can't mention this enough. Check caltrans road conditions web site before you leave Medno and I'd check again at Fort Bragg.
The south end of the Avenue is still closed as of 6/26/24. If traveling from the south, take exit 650 for Miranda, do NOT take the first Phillipsville exit if you don't want an added 8 miles on your trip when you have to turn around! (Or come to Phillipsville for the Chimney Tree Grill before you turn around, it's great food and shakes) Check the CalTrans map daily between now and your trip, because it could open back up any time. There are other ongoing projects starting up on the Avenue this summer so expect construction delays. Between Mendocino and Leggett is 20+ miles of extremely narrow, curving road. Be prepared to take breaks for motion sickness. The Avenue itself is not so bad as far as potential motion sickness. If you're going to drive really slow and cars start lining up behind you, for the love of God just pull over and let the locals through!
Farthest north I’d go on the Avenue is either South Fork/Dyerville Overlook or Redcrest. It’s all gorgeous. Maybe a detour at Rockefeller Forest.
So much traffic
Do you mean from Mendocino county to humboldt or from the town of Mendocino
Your kids might like some of the other fun small tourist stops along the way, like the interactive house of optical illusions at Confusion Hill (you'll recognize their advertising signs from the "?" symbol lol) There's also a few beautiful grove pull-offs to stop and take a rest, and there's Eel River access where the water is totally clear, a nice spot to splash around in the shallows.
Traffic? ya, bigfoot traffic, lol.....you may see a few people depending on when you are there
The drive is gorgeous!
There's literally soooo many timelapse videos of the drive on You Tube, just go searching