WHAT YOU'LL SEE: The 31-mile Avenue of the Giants route is world renown for many of the tallest trees in the world. The slow two-lane road (Highway 254) runs through redwood forests from Phillipsville (north of Garberville) to Pepperwood (south of Scotia). The crown jewel is the 53,000-acre Humboldt Redwoods State Park, featuring 17,000 acres of old-growth. Many redwoods there are 5-to-10 feet in diameter, some bigger, and more than 300 feet tall. At dawn, when nobody is around, refracted light through the limbs makes the old-growth forest like a cathedral. The South Fork of the Eel River runs near most of the route and provides a few swimming holes.

TRAILHEADS: The best easy trail right off the road is at the Founder's Grove near Weott, a half-mile walk past some monster-size trees. A better trek takes off from Bull Creek Flats - a short walk to the Federation Grove and the Big Tree Area passes many redwoods that range 5- to-10 feet in diameter. One option here is a 9-mile loop.

CAMPGROUNDS: Humboldt Redwoods State Park has three major campgrounds - Albee Creek, Burlington and Hidden Springs - with a total of 251 sites.

HOW TO GET THERE: From San Francisco, take Highway 101 north for 207 miles. Take Exit 645 for Highway 254/Avenue of the Giants and drive 2.5 miles to where it merges with Avenue of the Giants. Continue 31 miles through Humboldt Redwoods State Park to the merge with 101 just beyond Pepperwood.

CONTACTS: Humboldt Redwoods State Park visitor center, (707) 946-2263, parks.ca.gov.

This article appeared on page B - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle