Land Of Giant Survivors Wandering Among The Forests, With Redwoods Hundreds Of Years Old Towering Above, Is A Humbling Experience

These trees look, quite frankly, like they have seen better days.

Their flanks have scars and black patches. Limbs are missing from their lower trunks. Parts of the bark are split, or have unsightly knots.

But these redwoods have managed to rise more than 360 feet above the ground. They are the world’s tallest trees, and the world’s oldest living things; they were alive when Christ was born.

Giant redwoods like these once sprawled hundreds of miles along the southern Oregon and California coasts, covering 2 million acres and stretching almost to Los Angeles.

Today, most are confined to a relatively narrow band of state and national parks covering 160,000 acres at California’s northern tip; they grow on no other continent in the world.

Compared to some of the West’s spectacular vistas, the redwood parks are a more subtle experience. To walk among these trees, your footsteps muffled by trails that are framed with ferns and padded with moss, is to be humbled.

The immensity of the redwoods is hard to communicate. A good height for a mature ponderosa pine, for example, is 120 feet; the biggest redwoods stand 365 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty. They average 500 to 700 years old; the oldest are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

They have survived fires (many redwoods have blackened bark, but the trees are highly resistant to heat). They have survived insects and drought. But they barely survived the timber industry, with only 4 percent of the original coastal redwood forests remaining by 1986.

Today, the surviving redwoods are found in several state parks and one national park sprawling about 100 miles between the California cities of Crescent City and Garberville.

In these parks, the trees don’t frame the scenery; they are the scenery. They tend not to offer spectacular vistas; rather, their groves are quiet, serene retreats, accessible mostly through pleasant winding roads and short, easy trails.

Some of the redwood parks south of Crescent City are next to the ocean, allowing opportunities for sightseeing or beach walking. Swimming is not recommended, however, due to dangerous surf and rip currents; some trails also can be cut off by high tides, so caution is necessary.

Redwood National Park, created in 1968, contains more than 1,000 species of plants and animals (including a 2,000-member herd of Roosevelt elk, frequently seen browsing like cattle). It also contains tens of thousands of acres that already have been clearcut, added in a desperate attempt to protect the park’s original trees. Those lands are being replanted, but it will take centuries for the redwoods to come back.

Both the national and state parks, which straddle U.S. Highway 101, have a wide variety of scenic areas, campgrounds and day-use sites. But most of this stretch of California is lightly developed, with only a handful of roadside attractions and tourist towns along the way. Locals aren’t happy with the relative lack of commercial opportunities; tourists should appreciate the unspoiled beauty while it lasts.

The southern redwoods begin about 35 miles south of Eureka with Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Founded in 1921, it contains more than 40 percent of the world’s remaining old-growth redwoods, including the pristine 10,000-acre Rockefeller Forest.

This park is best appreciated by driving the 33-mile Avenue of the Giants (the route of the old highway), which offers access to many of the scenic groves.

Driving the Avenue is a nostalgic flashback to the ‘50s and a reminder of what the rest of California was like half a century ago. This is the home of small towns with obscure names like Myers Flat and Weott; sleepy cafes like the M & M Sandwich Shop; clusters of old-fashioned tourist cabins; and roadside attractions that date back to the pre-television era - the Chimney Tree Coffee Shop, the One Log House and Gift Shop, the Drive Thru Tree and the Burl ‘n’ Drift Novelty store.

A logical base to access either the northern or southern forests is Eureka, a working seaport on Humboldt Bay. Its historic Old Town area, near the waterfront, contains a compact collection of antique stores, bookshops, galleries and restaurants. You can take a harbor tour on a restored ferryboat, or buy fresh-caught crab at a dock.

The city also has more than 10,000 gingerbread-laden Victorian buildings, including the famous Carson Mansion near the waterfront. Built by lumber baron William Carson, it kept 100 men working for two years.

Another pretty destination is the town of Ferndale, about a half-hour drive south of Eureka. The entire village is on the National Register of Historic Places, and its main street has remained largely untouched since the 1890s. (Movie buffs have seen Ferndale already as the town that was threatened by a killer African virus in “Outbreak.”)

The town is invaded by tourists in summer, but it’s still the kind of place where residents walk dogs on downtown sidewalks, and where shop owners take an hour off for lunch.

From forests to coastline, this entire stretch of Northern California is like that: friendly, informal and - except for the tourists - hard-working, far from the hip intensity of the Bay Area or the too-cool ambience of the Los Angeles beaches. It’s a place of lumber mills, fishing boats, mom ‘n’ pop resorts, small towns and little cafes - all guarded by the serene majesty of the soaring redwoods.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Getting there On the map, the California coast looks like an easy drive from Interstate 5. In reality, the trip is several hours of hard driving over coastal mountains along slow, winding, two-lane roads. For travelers coming from the Northwest, the best route is to leave Interstate 5 at Grants Pass, Ore., then follow U.S. 199 to Crescent City, Calif., and U.S. 101 - a four-lane highway in most sections - to the redwoods Activities Tall Trees Outfitters offers horseback rides through the state and national redwood parks north of Eureka, at prices ranging from $25 to $85 per person, depending on the length of the tour (extended pack trips also are available). The guide, Nancy Fiddler, gives an exceptionally interesting talk about the redwoods; children as young as 5 can ride. Call (707) 488-5785. Humboldt Bay Harbor Cruise is a 75-minute tour of Eureka’s waterfront aboard the restored ferry boat Madaket, said to be the oldest operating passenger vessel in the United States (it dates back to 1910, when workers were ferried across the bay to the lumber mills on the Samoa Peninsula). The narrated trip is a good way to learn some of the region’s history, much of it related to timber. Our children found it interesting, especially seeing harbor seals. During summer, three daily sailings are offered at $9.50 for adults and $6.50 for children; call (707) 445-1910. Bicycle Adventures, based in Olympia, offers six-day cycling trips through the California redwoods, including the Avenue of the Giants, Eureka and Ferndale. The cost is $1,242, including lodging. Call (800) 443-6060 or (360) 786-0989. Dining The region has a wide variety of restaurants, from casual to gourmet. Three personal recommendations: Rolf’s Cafe, on U.S. 101 two miles north of Orick, near Redwood National Park, is nondescript - to put it politely - from the outside. But owner Rolf Rheinschmidt, a former European chef who can’t seem to stay retired, has a devoted local following with his hearty, old-fashioned meals … many with German roots (wienerschnitzel, hasenpfeffer) and some entrees featuring exotic meat like buffalo, boar and elk. Rolf’s is open for three meals a day, with reasonable prices (most dinner entrees $10 to $15), and a children’s menu. Call (707) 488-3841. Samoa Cookhouse, a 10-minute drive from downtown Eureka on Humboldt Bay, is the former cookhouse for the Hammond Lumber Co., dating back to 1893. Meals are served family-style on long tables. There’s only one choice of entree (on the day of our visit, it was superb split pea soup and a veal patty with cream gravy; other typical offerings include ham and fried chicken), served with salad, vegetables (including real whipped potatoes) and dessert. It’s old-fashioned cooking with enormous portions and reasonable prices ($6.25, $6.95 and $11.95 for breakfast, lunch and dinner - children are less). Plus there’s lots of memorabilia on the walls, including old-time photos. Vegetarians, however, will probably want to dine elsewhere. Call (707) 442-1659. The Eureka Seafood Grotto at Sixth and Broadway is a local institution, an old-fashioned restaurant with no-nonsense waitresses and straightforward (i.e. mostly deep-fried) seafood. Prices are reasonable and kids love the chowder; there’s also a seafood counter where you can buy fresh fish and crab. Call (707) 443-2075. Where to stay Eureka has the usual quota of large motels and inns, but many of the lodgings around the region are small mom ‘n’ pop places - which can be good or bad. Along the Avenue of the Giants, we stayed at the Miranda Gardens Resort, a charming cluster of older, roomy cabins, all with kitchens and beautifully restored redwood paneling. The resort was dense with trees and shrubbery, featured a pool, and had a handy market next door. (Prices range from $45 to $175 per night; call (707) 943-3011). But near Trinidad, north of Eureka, we stayed at a place that we were calling the Bates Motel (from the Hitchcock thriller “Psycho”) by the end of our stay. The cabins were tiny. Our suite was musty, with a truly bad mattress. The office was almost never open, making it impossible to get advice and information about the area. On the other hand, other cottage resorts in the same area looked charming, including Bishop Pine Lodge in Trinidad (recommended in several books); call (707) 677-3314. I’d suggest starting with the Eureka/Humboldt County visitor’s guide, then comparing those listings with reputable guidebooks. Travelers who need to do business while on vacation should be aware that many of these small resorts don’t have phones in the cabins, making it difficult to connect with the outer world with a computer. When to visit The coastal climate is mild year-round, averaging 47 degrees in January and 56 degrees in July. However, rain is a possibility at any time of year, and there’s often heavy fog in summer when inland California heats up, drawing cool marine air over the coast. Summer, obviously, is the peak travel season. Most accommodations have off-season rates for other months. Tallest trees: The world’s tallest trees are found in the Tall Trees Grove of Redwood National Park. It contains the “official” tallest tree, last measured at 367.8 feet, and the “unofficial” tallest tree, measured at 365.5 feet. (It’s believed that the official tallest tree may no longer be the champion because several feet of sediment has piled up around its base, reducing its height, since it was last measured.) The grove is accessible only by trail, though a shuttle bus service (in summer) reduces the length of the (steep) hike to 2.6 miles round trip. Tourist information The Eureka/Humboldt County Convention & Visitors Bureau has excellent tourism materials available, including a free 76-page travel guide that covers restaurants, lodging and special events. Call (800) 346-3482 or (707) 443-5097. More information Redwood National and State Parks, Crescent City, (800) 444-7275 or (707) 464-6101. Campground reservations in California state parks. Call MISTIX in San Diego at (800) 444-7275. Save-the-Redwoods League, San Francisco, (415) 362-2352. Recommended reading “Northern California Handbook” ($19.95, Moon Publications). A very good all-around guide to Northern California, with ample doses of history, informed advice and plenty of listings on places to eat and stay. “Northern California Best Places” ($16.95, Sasquatch Books). Most emphasis in this book is on places to stay (including B&B’s) and restaurants; it’s useful but not a necessity.