The best traffic-free bike rides in Humboldt County

Beautiful area

Tall old trees

The Plaza, with its lawns and flowerbeds, is the social and commercial center of Arcata. Charming shops selling locally handcrafted goods, sporting goods, boutiques, and restaurants line the Plaza and the streets beyond. Arcata is a college town with particularly interesting bookstores and coffeehouses. Stop at Arcata Artisans on the Plaza. Don't miss Jacoby's Storehouse. This restored historic building features shops and a delightful central area where you can sit, enjoy an ice cream cone or a snack, and relax.

The Founders Tree Coast Redwood stands in Founders Grove, not far from Avenue of the Giants, and marks a worthwhile story. There is 1.3 miles of trail, but the main attraction is located near the parking lot. The nature of the area makes the word hiking more appropriate than hiking. The place is quite crowded in July and August but has its charm that makes it difficult to miss this time of year. The circular hiking trail requires your attention so that you don't leave it. But absolutely worth it because you are surrounded by giant trees. Fallen trees give you a sense of dimension, from root to top.

One of the most iconic and enduring hallmarks of American street kitsch is the drive-thru tree - only possible with the massive scale of California's redwoods. Of two known tree tunnels in Central California, the one in Tuolumne Grove is through a dead tree, and the Wawona tree in Yosemite fell in 1969. However, there are three drive-through redwoods still going strong on California's Redwood Coast, all of which are operated as tourist attractions.

Chandler Grove is a small hillside sequoia grove on the northern Avenue of the Giants. A short loop path circles through the grove. The grove has a large parking lot. Most of the grove is on a plain "bank" elevated a few meters above the water table of the Eel River; Typically, for such elevated sites, the relative lack of water means that there are no large trees. Still, the grove appears to be unlogged and has many small redwoods growing among ferns and redwood sorrel. An unofficial side trail leads to a small gleam next to the Avenue of the Giants, where a stream runs through an attractive collection of larger redwoods. Directly across the avenue, the High Rock Trail is much more spectacular, but it rarely gets any visitors because it is not visible from the street.

The Founders' Grove is the most visited grove in Humboldt Redwoods and a major redwood attraction on the North Shore. It's popular because it's conveniently (perhaps too conveniently) located right next to Highway 101 on the Avenue of the Giants, and it's truly an extraordinary sight. The grove is perhaps most notable for its sheer size. From most locations on the Loop Trail, the large redwoods stretch as far as you can see in every direction. No other lowland grove feels so expansive. Located on an exceptionally large floodplain at the junction of two rivers, the grove is protected from storms by 3,000-foot mountains to the west, but is still immersed in the summer fog that flows up the Eel River Valley. As a result, the grove has many huge trees, which, combined with its large area and openness, make it one of the most impressive there is; it truly is quintessential Redwood Grove.

Bolling Grove is a small, easy-to-explore piece of lowland with large trees on the Avenue of the Giants. The grove has no hiking trails, but it is one of the most popular stops on the avenue because the large trees are clearly visible from the street and there is a convenient pullout right in front of them. On weekends and holidays there are almost always a few people walking around taking photos. Bolling Grove was the very first grove dedicated in Humboldt Redwoods; A three-square-mile parcel containing the grove was purchased in 1921 along with the first groves of Richardson Grove, Standish-Hickey, Prairie Creek and Del Norte Coast Redwoods. The grove lies on a floodplain at the confluence of Elk Creek and the Eel River. Although it is only about 50 meters wide, it features some truly impressive mammoth redwoods. The largest trees surround a clear area next to the pullout that makes a great first impression when you step out of your car. The ground cover has been completely worn away by foot traffic, leaving a cover of redwood needles that makes it easy to hike among the giant trees. Unofficial paths lead a few meters outside this area to the banks of the stream, which flows through a depressed channel carved into the soft ground. Outside the main cluster of redwoods and across the creek, the trees quickly become much smaller.