Explore Humboldt County's Redwoods, Lost Coast, Trinidad Head, Sequoia Park Zoo

Coast redwoods in Humboldt County can exceed 300 feet in height, and VisitCalifornia points visitors to drive options that put those trees within arm’s reach: the Avenue of the Giants (reported as a 31-mile stretch by VisitCalifornia and 32 miles by Discoversouthernhumboldt) and the 10-mile Newton B. Drury Redwood Scenic Parkway. Discoversouthernhumboldt notes the Avenue was the original Redwood Highway before the high-speed version was built in 1960 and lists classic roadside stops such as the Shrine Drive Thru Tree and the nearby communities of Miranda, Myers Flat and Redcrest.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park centers its visitor services two miles south of the Weott exit, where the park visitor center offers a free natural history museum, outdoor exhibits, a bookstore and gift shop, maps, picnic tables and restrooms, according to Discoversouthernhumboldt. The park’s walking options include Founders Grove Nature Loop, an easy 0.5-mile loop that holds the fallen Dyerville Giant, and longer routes such as the Rockefeller Loop and the Bull Creek Flats Trail through what Discoversouthernhumboldt describes as the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest.

Trail experiences farther north draw national attention: VisitCalifornia highlights Lady Bird Johnson Grove as reachable via a relatively easy 1.5-mile hike and recommends the 9-mile Fern Canyon Loop Trail in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park that finishes at a 50-foot canyon covered in ferns. For coastal backpackers, the 24.6-mile Lost Coast Trail traverses black-sand beaches "populated by seals and barking sea lions" and, VisitCalifornia advises, requires at least three days and backcountry permits for camping.

Shelter Cove and Whitethorn function as the northern gateway to the Lost Coast; Discoversouthernhumboldt reports Shelter Cove has several restaurants including a brewery, scenic oceanside inns, a public airport and a 9-hole golf course, plus attractions such as Black Sands Beach and the historic Cape Mendocino Lighthouse. The same source warns the southern coastline communities are largely isolated because few roads cross the rugged terrain, underscoring infrastructure and emergency-access considerations for county planners.

On the northern coast, Trinidad offers protected bays and small-scale tourism. VisitCalifornia recommends the Lost Whale Inn in Trinidad and says, "reserve the Sea Lion Room for a wall of windows overlooking ocean cliffs!" The inn’s owners, Gary and Guia, name Humboldt Lagoons State Park Dry Lagoon as their favorite beach and provide driving directions from the inn past Big Lagoon to the Little Red School House; their site also notes Dry Lagoon as prime elk viewing and lists local kayak operators — Humboldt bay aquatic center, Kayak Zak’s, Pacific Outfitters and Kayak Trinidad.

Activity providers round out visitor options: Wildtrail Tours advertises a guided two-hour bike excursion through Humboldt County scenery; Humboldt Bay Oyster Tours offers hands-on harvesting experiences; Carter House Inns highlights Madaket narrated cruises, calling Madaket "the oldest passenger vessel still in service in the United States"; and Carterhouse and Carter House Inns also point to Lost Coast Adventure Tours for scenic boat tours and whale watching and to Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate in Eureka for factory viewing and tastings.

Readers should note a few source discrepancies and open items for verification: Avenue of the Giants mileage appears as both 31 and 32 miles in different accounts, the Original Report contains a truncated line reading "Redwood National and State Parks (NPS) - What: World-class old-growth redwood gro", and VisitCalifornia’s Wildtrail Tours line is truncated. For permits, visitor-center services and claims such as Madaket’s superlative, confirm current details with state parks, Caltrans and Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum before planning travel.