After a night in Ukiah, we continued north to the Redwoods and to explore a couple of possible campsites. I picked up a quick snack at a Japanese place in town and we drove to Willits. We stopped at Mariposa Market, where we bought some ready-made food, supplies, and groceries, including a piece of tuna steak and prawns for dinner that night.
One of the items we got was Uncle Harry’s Patchouli Liquid Soap. Uncle Harry makes liquid and powder soaps, with different essential oils. Patchouli was one of two options at Mariposa, which had an impressive wellness section. (I first found Uncle Harry on a 2015 trip and was first introduced to their natural toothpaste.) I had forgotten to grab an additional soap before we left for camping. Campsite/public bathroom soap is full of chemicals and is very drying.
Leaving Willits, the first campground we visited was Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area. As with many campgrounds, one loop remains open year-round and the friendly Ranger waved us through to see if it’s suitable for us. I hopped out of the car to take a look at the bathroom facilities, which were super clean. There were an only few campers there, including someone on a motorbike. It was very dark, the trees being close together, and the sites felt small. It didn’t feel like “it” and so we headed north to investigate other campgrounds.
Standish-Hickey SRA would be great when the other campsites are open, especially after mid-summer when the river is warm enough and calm enough to get in. The only two campgrounds that are open before Memorial Day are the Hickey Campground which overlooks the river and Redwood Campground, which is close to the river.
Richardson Grove State Park
Next we drove to Richardson Grove State Park to feel it out. This is the “literal gateway to the Redwoods“, giant trees lining the road as we got close. I was excited to visit Avenue of the Giants next, further north.
It was off-season and the park entrance was unmanned so we drove in to check out the campsites. It was still quite empty. What we loved was how bright and spacious the campground and the individual campsites are. Each one had a different layout and varying degrees of privacy. It felt like the right place to be and we ended up staying three nights.
The fee was $35/night. Self-registration is easy – pick up an envelope at the Ranger Station located at the gate, fill it out with your details, and deposit the cash before sealing it. There is a drop-off box at the station.
We chose a campsite that was a short walk from the bathrooms and had several friendly neighbours. A family with young kids and a dog there for the weekend, a couple in a beautiful custom-made travel trailer already there a week, and a young lady, a regular. Camping next to the trailhead, she shared that the couple was at her favourite campsite. On our last morning, I spoke to the couple, who gifted us delicious oranges from their garden. She told me how they scoured fairs for a year before finding a Canadian manufacturer which worked with them for the travel trailer they were in.
Our camp set up and our dinner the first night – rice with chicken broth with prawns, tuna steak, and onions.
A quick and delicious dinner on our second night at Richardson Grove – all-beef hot dog with beet and cabbage sauerkraut.
The Eel River
The South Fork of the Eel River runs through the park. It was much too cold in April to get in. And too dangerous. We drove down to the riverbank, which is across from the Grove. I found a trail down the tall grass. Walking over the pebbly beach to the edge, I watched the river.
Driving through northern California, I kept seeing glimpses of Eel River, popping up here and there, its dazzling sea-green colour so eye-catching. From the car, I’ve tried to take photos as we passed by. These drive-by shots don’t usually turn out.
The Eel River is called Wiya’t in Wiyot, Taanchow in Cahto, and ch’idiyu in Northern Pomo. It runs 315 km or nearly 200 miles in northwest California, from the Coast Ranges to the Pacific Ocean. The river basin has been inhabited for a very long time, with a petroglyph dated back 2,500 years.
This camping trip through California has been a journey of learning. Reading David Paulides’ The Hoopa Project also gave me a glimpse into indigenous cultures. I found Wade’s copy from storage and decided to read it on this camping trip, since we were travelling through Bigfoot country.
Cabin at Richardson Grove, Wade off somewhere, Lookout Trail, squirrels at the trailhead.
Richardson Grove State Park
Richardson Grove State Park is seven miles south of Garverville on Highway 101, in southern Humboldt, and about four hours from San Francisco. It includes several campgrounds – Huckleberry, Madrone, and Dawn Redwood Group camp for tent-camping and RV. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and a food lock box. There are also six cabins. You’ll need to bring bedding for these. I peeked inside one on my walk and it looked well-maintained.
The off-season is between September 2 (Labour Day weekend) and May 24 (Memorial Day weekend). Only Madrone campground is open during this period and it’s walk-in and self-registration at the park entrance. You can pay by cash or cheque.
Facilities include water, restrooms with flush toilets, and accessible showers (25 cents/two minutes with tokens). Wifi is available near the Ranger station. Here’s the Richardson Grove State Park brochure.
When we were there, there wasn’t any firewood to buy. So we got a bundle from the convenience shop, just a few minutes south of the grove by car and across from the “World Famous Grandfather Tree”. According to the sign, this tree is 1,800 years old and 265 feet tall. Next to it is a shop with souvenirs, wood carvings, and other interesting things. I went in to look for a Bigfoot onesie or t-shirt for our new baby niece, to go with the cute sweatshirt I got at a local makers fair in Honolulu. Wade got a Bigfoot mug and I got a shot glass with a banana slug to take my tinctures with.
Park History
From the California State Park website, here’s some history.
The Athabascan-speaking Sinkyone people are the first-known people to inhabit this area of ancient redwoods, which were sacred to them. Their descendants still have a spiritual and cultural relationship to this place.
Richardson Grove State Park is 1,800 acres, expanded from its original 120 acres in 1922. In 1920, Henry Devoy, the new owner of the homesteaded 160 acres, leased it to Edwin Freeman. At the site of today’s Visitor Centre, he built cabins, a store, and a dining room and until 1932, he continued to operate the new park. Edwin Freeman also lobbied to name the park for Governor Friend W. Richardson.
Campgrounds in California can be booked up far in advance. Camping in April makes a big difference – we could find campsites on a walk-in basis, campgrounds are less crowded and so the facilities are cleaner and more accessible. It was quiet and we had a relaxing time by ourselves. Being early in the year, however, it was also too cold to get into the water and many campsites were still closed.
Being in the Redwoods, sleeping in the open space, and taking it easy was a reset for us.