Introduction:
If your trip destination is the northern California redwood forest and you are starting at San Francisco, you will probably take highway 101.
This location is part of my "Redwood Parks at Northern California Coastline" road-trip suggestions and trip planner blog.
Link to the trip planner blog
You can also
have a much longer trip if you want to travel north on highway 1, see many other
blog posts I have on Point Reyes, Bodega Bay and Mendocino at:
hwy 1 - San Francisco to Fort Bragg
My main highway 1 trip planner blog:
From San
Francisco heading north on 101 you will pass the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin
County and drive through the heart of Sonoma County and the city of Santa Rosa.
At the northern
of Sonoma County highway 101 start climbing moderately into the Mendocino
County Mountain rang. After driving another 100 miles the landscape change from
open oak forest and grasslands into a dense pine forest. Once highway 101
descends into South Fork Eel River gorge and the small community of Leggett you
will start your journey into the redwood forests.
In this blog I
will describe what you can do between Leggett junction (reconnect of highway 1
with 101) to the turnout into Avenue of the Giants Scenic Road.
Although you
are probably heading north (or south) and want to reach your destinations, this
is a long ride and there are few tourist attractions that are worth stopping,
none of them is a “must see” attraction but you can stop at one location, have
a brake at your long drive north or south, reenergize and keep on your drive.
World Famous Tree House:
A quick stop
along the road; Except the treehouse near the road not much there to see, it
was closed when I drove by.
Confusion Hill Gravity House:
Confusion Hill
is a roadside attraction which opened in 1949, includes what is dubbed as a
"gravity house", a structure built to give the interior visitors
tilt-induced optical illusions.
The place (5$
fee) explains the area, history, trees, logging, gravity, natural formation, and
you get to climb up to the gravity house.
In January 2010,
Confusion Hill was recognized as a California State Point of Historical
Interest.
Excellent stop
for family with kids.
Richardson Grove State Park
The Park, just
off highway 101, features coast redwoods more than three hundred feet tall and
a national “wild and scenic” river, the South Fork of the Eel.
Assume you are
heading to, or coming from, northern California redwood parks that are more impressive
not sure this is a must stop at your trip but you can use this park as an overnight
camping location on your road trip.
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=422
Legend of Bigfoot Souvenir Gift
Shop:
Tourist gift
store on highway 101, the store is on the north to south side of the road so be
careful when parking if you are coming from the south.
A nice short
stop on your way with local souvenir collections.
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