Garberville
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Garberville

Garberville

Small Humboldt County service town at the southern gateway to old-growth redwood country.

Garberville is a small town in Humboldt County on the southern edge of the Redwood region, about 220 miles north of San Francisco on US-101. It serves as a gateway to the Avenue of the Giants, the 31-mile scenic road through some of the finest old-growth coastal redwood forest in the world.

The town has a handful of motels, diners, and gas stations that cater to road trippers heading north into Humboldt County or turning off toward the Lost Coast. It is also the main services stop for visitors to Richardson Grove State Park, a few miles to the south, which has camping and hiking among mature redwoods.

Guide

Getting There

Garberville sits on US-101, 220 miles north of San Francisco and about 65 miles south of Eureka. From San Francisco, allow around four hours with no stops. From Eureka, the drive is just over an hour south.

There is no rail service. Redwood Transit System runs a limited regional bus route along the 101 corridor connecting Garberville to Eureka, but schedules are sparse — this stretch of California is designed for cars. If you are driving, US-101 takes you directly into the center of town and is the only practical route from either direction.

Guide

Things to Do

Garberville's appeal is almost entirely natural. The town itself is a pit stop — fuel, food, a motel — but the surrounding landscape is extraordinary. The Avenue of the Giants begins just north of town and winds through old-growth redwood groves that make every other forest seem ordinary. Richardson Grove is a few miles south, quieter and easier to get to on foot. For those willing to take a longer detour, the Lost Coast is the wildest stretch of California coastline and starts within an hour's drive.