SF to Redwoods · Avenue of the Giants RV route

The San Francisco to Avenue of the Giants RV trip is one of the most visually rewarding short trips in the country. The route covers roughly 250 miles each way and threads either the Hwy 1 coast or the Hwy 101 inland corridor north through Sonoma and Mendocino counties to Humboldt Redwoods State Park — home of the 31-mile Avenue of the Giants, the largest contiguous old-growth coast-redwood forest in the world. Renters routinely underestimate how slowly the coastal stretch drives in a 25+ foot rig.

The honest 4-day version sticks to a brisk pace: SF to Bodega Bay (Hwy 1, 70 miles), Bodega Bay to Mendocino (slow coastal, 105 miles), Mendocino to Garberville and Avenue of the Giants (cut inland, 130 miles), Avenue exploration + return. The 6-7 day version extends north to Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith state parks — these reach the federally designated Redwood National Park boundary near Crescent City, roughly 90 miles north of Avenue of the Giants and worth the extra two days if your schedule allows.

1. Day 1 · 70 mi
   San Francisco, CA → Bodega Bay, CA
   Easy first day along Hwy 1. Bodega Bay RV Park or Doran Beach.
2. Day 2 · 105 mi
   Bodega Bay, CA → Mendocino, CA
   Slow coastal cruise. Caspar Beach RV Park or Manchester Beach KOA.
3. Day 3 · 130 mi
   Mendocino, CA → Garberville / Avenue of the Giants
   Enter Humboldt Redwoods. Burlington Campground (state park) or Benbow RV Resort.
4. Day 4 · 60 mi
   Humboldt Redwoods → Eureka / Arcata, CA
   Drive Avenue of the Giants. Stay at KOA Eureka or Sequoia RV Park.
5. Day 5 · 95 mi
   Eureka, CA → Crescent City / Prairie Creek
   Optional extension to coastal redwoods. Mill Creek (Del Norte) or Elk Country RV.
6. Day 6-7 · 350 mi
   Return south → San Francisco
   US-101 inland return is faster than Hwy 1 coast. Split with a Cloverdale or Petaluma overnight.

Height and width clearance is the most-asked question on this route. Avenue of the Giants itself has no posted RV restriction — the road clears comfortably above any rental and the famous tunnel-tree groves (Founders Grove, Rockefeller Forest) are easy turns even in a 30-foot Class C. The catch is the drive-through trees: the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree (Myers Flat), Chandelier (Leggett), and Klamath drive-through all post 6'9" wide and 12'8" tall maximum clearance. Almost every Class A and most Class C rigs exceed those. Renters wanting the drive-through photo should plan a Class B or van conversion specifically, or bring a tow car / motorcycle for the photo segment.

Campground reality. Humboldt Redwoods State Park operates three campgrounds (Burlington, Hidden Springs, Albee Creek) totaling roughly 250 sites with strict length and width limits. October and November sites release 6 months ahead via ReserveCalifornia and the desirable Burlington pads fill within a week of release. The honest fallback is the chain of private parks along the corridor: Benbow RV Resort (Garberville), KOA Eureka, and Sequoia RV Park add real capacity but also fill peak weekends 3-4 months ahead. Renters with flexibility on dates can score same-week shoulder-season availability on Tuesday-Thursday arrivals.

Are there RV height restrictions on Avenue of the Giants?

Avenue of the Giants itself (the 31-mile parallel road through Humboldt Redwoods State Park) has no posted height restriction — the road clears comfortably above any rental RV. The famous drive-through trees (Shrine, Chandelier, Klamath) all have width and height limits that exclude almost every Class A and most Class C rigs — typical clearances run 6'9" wide and 12'8" tall. Renters wanting the drive-through photo should bring a tow car or rent a Class B / van conversion.

What's the difference between Humboldt Redwoods and Redwood National Park?

Humboldt Redwoods State Park (CA state) contains Avenue of the Giants and the largest contiguous old-growth coast redwood forest in the world — roughly 200 miles north of SF. Redwood National & State Parks (federal + state cooperative) sit roughly 90 miles further north, near Crescent City. Both contain spectacular trees. The 4-day version of this trip targets Humboldt; the 6-7 day extension reaches Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith.

Is the coastal Hwy 1 route doable with a 30-foot Class C?

Doable but slow. Hwy 1 north of Bodega Bay through Mendocino has narrow turns, blind curves, and stretches with no shoulder. Renters in 30+ foot rigs typically prefer to drive Hwy 101 inland from Cloverdale and use Hwy 1 only for the SF-to-Bodega-Bay section. The honest middle path: take Hwy 1 the first day to Bodega Bay (worth it), then cut inland to 101 at Cloverdale for the rest of the trip north.

When's the best season for this trip?

September and October — the summer fog has cleared from the coast, daytime highs are 60-75°F, and the redwood forest stays cool. May and June work too but coastal fog (Karl) can hide views for hours. July and August are crowded; the small campground inventory along this corridor (Humboldt Redwoods has ~250 sites total across Burlington, Hidden Springs, and Albee Creek) fills 6 months ahead for those peak weeks.