Day 119 The Ultimate USA road trip Eureka Fort Bragg

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RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)

Last edit: 29-02-2024

Route Summary

This is the 119th route of “The Ultimate USA Road Trip”, a collection of routes based on the route created by scientist Dr. Randy Olsen algorithm to create the perfect USA Road Trip that visits almost every state of the US and the most important hotspots in the USA.

I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Eureka along the Pacific Coast to Fort Bragg. It is a ride of 225 kilometers.

We drive on the beautiful US-101, Pacific Coast Highway in California, this is part of the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. This is the major north-south US highway that starts in Washington and runs along the western coastline of Oregon to the California border. Along the way you will enjoy beautiful views and there are several sights to visit and very beautiful viewpoints. I rate this route 5 stars.

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Verdict

Duration

10h 2m

Mode of travel

Car or motorcycle

Distance

226.64 km

Countries

RouteXpert Review

On day 119 of “The Ultimate USA Road Trip” we drive from Eureka along the “Pacific Coast” to Fort Bragg. This road runs along the beautiful Pacific Ocean coastline and through Humboldt Redwood State Park. Along the route there are many opportunities to stop and enjoy the beautiful view. Along the route you can visit beautiful beaches, museums, parks, lighthouses and there are opportunities to see whales, sea lions and other animals in their natural habitat. A number of these sights are included in the route as a POI and RP.

The first stop is after a few minutes' drive in Eureka, we visit it
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park. The park offers a rich historical experience for visitors. The park's displays provide insight into the former US Army fort that was operational from 1853 to 1870. In addition, the park interprets the interactions between European Americans and Native Americans during the same period. Visitors can also explore exhibits showcasing logging equipment and the region's local narrow-gauge history.

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park's collection includes a variety of historical artifacts. Visitors can see trains, logging equipment and a fully functional Steam Donkey engine. One of the highlights of the collection is an authentic Native American dugout canoe, which provides a glimpse into the region's indigenous history.

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is located on a bluff, with beautiful views of Humboldt Bay. The park also houses the regional headquarters of the California State Parks system on the North Coast, adding to its importance in the region.

After about 50 kilometers we leave US-101 to drive the amazing “Avenue of the Giants”.
This famous road, the most beautiful route between the redwoods, is also called the most beautiful forest route in the world. Lined with giant sequoias, the 31-mile Avenue, parallel to Highway 101, is largely flat with beautiful sweeping curves and passes remote forest hamlets, campsites, picnic areas and access points to the Eel River, a federally designated Wild & Scenic waterway with idyllic swimming, fishing and paddling spots. There are numerous trailheads along the Avenue, all leading into the magical redwood forest.

Visit Founders Groove. Located just off the famous Avenue of the Giants, this incredible redwood forest is home to some of the tallest trees in the world. At the end of the loop is the beautiful fallen Dyerville Giant. The giant sequoia once stood 360 feet tall and was considered the tallest tree in the park before its fall in 1991. The fall of the redwood to the ground moved the Earth so much that it was recorded on a nearby seismograph and a local resident, who heard the impact. half a mile away he thought a train had crashed. Today you can walk the entire length of the tree and be amazed by the enormous root system on beautiful display. Dyerville Giant Facts: 110 meters high 5.5 meters diameter 16 meters circumference Possibly 2000 years old.

You can visit the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. There are numerous visual and hands-on educational exhibits, a theater, library, gift shop, and friendly volunteer staff to answer questions about the park and surrounding area.

Visit the Shrine Drive Thru Tree, ride your motorcycle through a redwood tree or over a fallen redwood tree. The Shrine Drive Thru Tree has been attracting visitors for years. Great place to take some beautiful photos. There is a $10 fee to drive through the tree.

We return to US-101 and follow the course of the South Fork Eel River, a river in the northern part of the US state of California, which rises near Laytonville and flows north for approximately 169 km to its confluence with the Eel River near Weott. Some major tributaries of the largely free-flowing river include Tenmile Creek, the East Branch South Fork Eel River near Benbow, and Hollow Tree Creek. The river covers an area of 1,780 km2 and is said to be the most important river supporting coho salmon in the state. We will cross the river several times via one of thirty-five bridges, some are beautiful constructions and if it is safe you can stop to take a photo.

Visit Confusion Hill, a small park with some fun attractions, including the historic Mountain Train Ride, which is a 30-minute train ride through redwoods, brown oaks, pine and madrone trees to the hilltop and back. You will travel on 1¼ miles of 20 gauge track. We use a unique Alpine switchback system to get up the hill. The engineer will tell you about some of the unique features of the coast redwoods. There is also an interesting collection of historic logging equipment on display as you make the loop around the top of the hill.

At the town of Legett we leave US-101 again to take the great Shoreline Highway to Fort Bragg, we drive through the forested mountains back to the coast. On the last 70 kilometers of this route there are numerous viewpoints where you can enjoy the beautiful cliffs and coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the season and time of year, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

The end point of this beautiful ride is in Fort Bragg, where there are several hotels and resorts to stay overnight, the Noyo Harbor Inn is recommended. This historic hotel sits majestically above the Noyo riverbank, against sweeping views of the endless forests, the flowing river, the harbor overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It features cozy and luxurious rooms, a tranquil spa and a beautiful restaurant and bar where you can dine both indoors and outdoors. The property offers visitors access to gardens, walking trails, the harbor, local beaches and state parks.

Links

Day 118 The Ultimate USA road trip Bandon Eureka
Fort Humboldt Museum
The Avenue of the Giants
Noyo Harbor Inn Fort Bragg
Day 120 The Ultimate USA road trip Fort Bragg San Francisco

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California

About this region

California is a state in the Western United States. It shares a border with Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With over 39.5 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous and the third-largest U.S. state by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after New York City). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. San Francisco, which is both a city and a county, is the second most densely populated major city in the country (after New York City) and the fifth most densely populated county in the country, behind four of New York City's five boroughs.
The economy of California, with a gross state product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If it were a country, it would be the 37th most populous country and the fifth largest economy as of 2020. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020), after the New York metropolitan area ($1.8 trillion). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as centers of the global technology and entertainment industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Although California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. All these factors lead to an enormous demand for water. Over time, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency and become less seasonal and more year-round, further straining California's water security.