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.