Make this an early stop. The Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center has a small museum, maps, restrooms and rangers who can tell you which trails and side roads are open that week. It’s open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas: 9am to 5pm May through September, and 10am to 4pm October through April.
Nearby, look for the flood-height marker from December 1964, when warm rain on deep snow sent the Eel River over the rooftops of Weott. Look up, not at eye level. The water stood far higher than most people expect, and the old town moved uphill afterward.
The Christmas 1964 flood was one of the worst in California history. Whole mill towns along the Eel were damaged or destroyed and some were never rebuilt. The redwoods, built for floods, stood in the water and simply grew new roots up into the fresh silt.
Pro tip: This is the place to ask about Rockefeller Loop and Mattole Road conditions before you commit an hour to the detour.
- • Hours (per California State Parks, November 2026): 9am–5pm May–September, 10am–4pm October–April; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- • Restrooms, maps and park information.
- • Park phone: (707) 946-2409.
- Is there a visitor center on the Avenue of the Giants?
- Yes. The Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center is on the Avenue near Weott, roughly midway along the drive. It has a museum, maps and restrooms, and it is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
