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Date:         Thu, 13 Jun 1996 18:34:19 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "H. Steven Dolan" <dworkin@mtolympus.ari.net>
Subject:      Great Loop/Camping site north of San Francisco

Ron,

There is this park.... indeed there is an entire loop that I recommend highly. Alas, It is a fair drive north from SF (about 6hrs), so it is not exactly what you are looking for but I mention it in case you are thinking "wine country". Last two times I went west I did this same loop and enjoyed it immensely both times. I hope some of the more local people can flesh this out/correct my bad memory (hint, hint)

Start at a town called Ferndale (great Victorian architecture), about 6hrs N. of SF on 101. Exit town heading for the coast (west). The road is a bit hard to find but you will know you are on the right one if your van assumes a position fitted for bleeding a Vanagon. The towns it heads for on the coast are Capetown (which does not really exist) and Petrolia. This is an extrememly steep and windy road both going up and going down, but the eagles soaring in the pass are worth it, as is the overlook to the ranch on the way down and the first sight of the ocean. BE CAREFUL! on the way down. I overheated my brakes and came near to losing them entirely. Stop for a "beauty break" half way down or at the first whiff of brakes and you will be fine.

After you hit the coast head south ~25 mi to the next town, Honeydew, and cut back inland. The pass is not quite as steep as the way in, but still exciting and leads you down into the Humboldt Redwood State Park from the back. If you time it right (start from Ferndale at ~10:00AM), you will get to the first campsites at ~4-5:00 PM. Pull in there. It is, as I remember, $14/night, solar showers and free (redwood) firewood. We loaded the van and had redwood fires for the next week :-) The next day you can take the road through some of the finest forest scenery in the world, and then back on 101.

I don't believe they take reservations, but it is far enough "back of beyond" that we had no trouble getting a site in late May on a Friday evening.

H Steven Dolan Alexandria, VA


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