Humboldt & Del Norte Counties
Seven roads worth going out of your way for, from a thirty-one-mile old-growth avenue to a five-mile cliff road. Here’s how long each takes, what the surface is like, and which ones your vehicle can actually handle.
At a glance
The surface column is the one that catches people out. Several of the best drives here are unpaved and closed to trailers.
| Drive | Length | Surface | RV / trailer | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Giants | 31 mi | Paved | RVs OK | The classic old-growth drive. Big trees straight from the car. |
| Newton B. Drury Parkway | 10 mi | Paved | RVs OK | Prairie Creek’s old growth, plus elk meadows and Big Tree. |
| Scenic Drive | 5 mi | Paved & gravel | No | Cliff-edge coast between Moonstone and Trinidad. |
| Howland Hill Road | ~10 mi | Unpaved | Prohibited | The densest, darkest forest driving in the state. Stout Grove. |
| Bald Hills Road | Long | Paved, steep | Not advised | Climbs above the fog to prairie and huge views. |
| Coastal Drive | Short | Partly unpaved | No | Bluff-top ocean views near the Klamath River mouth. |
| Mattole Road | Long | Paved, rough | Not advised | Rockefeller Forest, then over the hills to the Lost Coast. |
In detail
Ranked by how much we’d rearrange a trip to include them.
01
Southern Humboldt · State Route 254
The original highway, left where it was when 101 was rebuilt alongside it—so it goes through the trees rather than around them. Founders Grove, the fallen Dyerville Giant, and a short detour into Rockefeller Forest, the largest unbroken old-growth redwood forest on earth.
Flat, gently curved, RV-friendly and free. The one drive on this list nobody should skip.
Full guide
02
Prairie Creek Redwoods · off US-101
Runs parallel to 101 straight through Prairie Creek’s old growth, with pullouts and trailheads the whole way. Big Tree Wayside is a two-minute walk from the road, and Roosevelt elk are often grazing the meadow by the visitor center.
The northern equivalent of the Avenue, and the answer for anyone who can’t manage a hike.
Full guide
03
Moonstone Beach to Trinidad · 15 min from Arcata
A narrow cliff road hugging the coast between two beaches, with pullouts at Houda Point and Luffenholtz. Ends in a fishing village with a headland walk and somewhere to eat.
Sections are gravel and the pullouts fit one car. Not an RV road—take 101 and drop down to the beaches instead.
Full guide
04
Jedediah Smith Redwoods · near Crescent City
A narrow dirt road threading through the densest old growth in the redwood parks, leading to Stout Grove and the Grove of the Titans boardwalk. Trees close in on both sides in a way no paved road manages.
Closed to RVs and trailers. Slow going, and worth every minute—but it’s the furthest north on this list, near Crescent City.
05
From Orick · Redwood National Park
Climbs east out of Orick past Lady Bird Johnson Grove, the Tall Trees access gate and Dolason Prairie, up onto open oak prairie with views across the whole park. A completely different landscape half an hour above the forest.
This is the fog answer. The Bald Hills sit above the fog line, so this can be in full sun when the coast is grey. Motor homes and trailers are not advised.
Trails up here06
Near the Klamath River mouth
A narrow bluff-top loop above the ocean where the Klamath meets the sea. Big open views, sea stacks below, and far fewer cars than the parkway. Sections are one-way and unpaved, and parts have been closed by slides in the past.
Check current status before you commit—this road has a history of closures. No RVs or trailers.
07
Off the Avenue at Bull Creek · on to the Lost Coast
Branches west off the Avenue and runs through Rockefeller Forest—worth doing for that alone. Carry on and it climbs over the hills to Honeydew and Petrolia and eventually the Lost Coast, which is a genuine expedition rather than a drive.
The first few miles to Rockefeller Forest are easy. Beyond that it becomes narrow, winding and remote with no services. Not for RVs, and not to be started late in the day.
Practical
Where to stay
Five of these seven drives are within about an hour of Arcata. Base yourself at either end of the county and you’ll spend a day getting to the others.
An hour to the Avenue of the Giants, an hour to the Drury Parkway, fifteen minutes to Scenic Drive, and an hour to the foot of Bald Hills Road. Sleeps sixteen, with a full kitchen, an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit and a hot tub for the end of a long day in the car.