The best cycling routes around Phillipsville

great for cooling down after the many mountain stages

Beautiful area

Tall old trees

In the town of Benbow on the middle reaches of the South Fork Eel River, the Benbow Dam was built in 1931 to generate electricity from hydropower. This created the 123-acre Benbow Lake. The dam was demolished again at the end of 2016. This means that the river is once again accessible to migratory fish along its entire route.

One of the most iconic and enduring hallmarks of American street kitsch is the drive-thru tree - only possible with the massive scale of California's redwoods. Of two known tree tunnels in Central California, the one in Tuolumne Grove is through a dead tree, and the Wawona tree in Yosemite fell in 1969. However, there are three drive-through redwoods still going strong on California's Redwood Coast, all of which are operated as tourist attractions.

The Founders' Grove is the most visited grove in Humboldt Redwoods and a major redwood attraction on the North Shore. It's popular because it's conveniently (perhaps too conveniently) located right next to Highway 101 on the Avenue of the Giants, and it's truly an extraordinary sight. The grove is perhaps most notable for its sheer size. From most locations on the Loop Trail, the large redwoods stretch as far as you can see in every direction. No other lowland grove feels so expansive. Located on an exceptionally large floodplain at the junction of two rivers, the grove is protected from storms by 3,000-foot mountains to the west, but is still immersed in the summer fog that flows up the Eel River Valley. As a result, the grove has many huge trees, which, combined with its large area and openness, make it one of the most impressive there is; it truly is quintessential Redwood Grove.

Bolling Grove is a small, easy-to-explore piece of lowland with large trees on the Avenue of the Giants. The grove has no hiking trails, but it is one of the most popular stops on the avenue because the large trees are clearly visible from the street and there is a convenient pullout right in front of them. On weekends and holidays there are almost always a few people walking around taking photos. Bolling Grove was the very first grove dedicated in Humboldt Redwoods; A three-square-mile parcel containing the grove was purchased in 1921 along with the first groves of Richardson Grove, Standish-Hickey, Prairie Creek and Del Norte Coast Redwoods. The grove lies on a floodplain at the confluence of Elk Creek and the Eel River. Although it is only about 50 meters wide, it features some truly impressive mammoth redwoods. The largest trees surround a clear area next to the pullout that makes a great first impression when you step out of your car. The ground cover has been completely worn away by foot traffic, leaving a cover of redwood needles that makes it easy to hike among the giant trees. Unofficial paths lead a few meters outside this area to the banks of the stream, which flows through a depressed channel carved into the soft ground. Outside the main cluster of redwoods and across the creek, the trees quickly become much smaller.

Hidden Springs Campground is located on Avenue of the Giants, approximately 1 mile south of Myers Flat and 5 miles south of the visitor center. The campground is open Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. Hidden Springs has 137 sites in a mixed forest setting that offer privacy. Two hiking trails are available near the campground, one leads from the campground and the other is directly across the Avenue of the Giants and leads to a great swimming hole on the South Fork of the Eel River. Site-specific reservations are available from just before Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Some sites are available for one night on a first come, first served basis.