At its northern end the Avenue of the Giants loosens its grip. The redwoods give way to open river flats and dairy pasture around Pepperwood, the Eel River widens into a broad, gravelly channel, and the road rejoins US 101 near the little town of Rio Dell. It is a gentler landscape than the cathedral groves to the south, and a good place to pause before the last run north to Fortuna and the coast.
Just across the river from Rio Dell stands Scotia, one of the last true company towns in the United States. For more than a century the Pacific Lumber Company owned everything here, from the mill and the houses to the store and the theatre, and the neat rows of wooden cottages still have a uniform look. The company's history is complicated: it was known for treating its workers well, but in the 1980s it was taken over in a hostile buyout and began logging old-growth forests at a rapid pace, leading to bitter protests by environmentalists. The mill has since changed hands, and the town is slowly finding a new identity.
The Eel River here is wide and slow in summer, with gravel bars and swimming holes, but in winter it can rise dramatically. The river valley is fertile, and the surrounding hills are covered with second-growth redwood and Douglas fir. Dairy farming is important in this part of Humboldt County, and the cheese and ice cream from the local creameries are worth seeking out.
The riding from here is mostly on the freeway, which is fast and efficient but not particularly interesting. If you have time, take the old road through Rio Dell and Scotia, or detour along the back roads through the hills to Ferndale, a Victorian village near the coast with beautifully preserved painted houses. The road from Ferndale over the hills to the Lost Coast is narrow, steep and challenging.
Rio Dell has fuel, food and basic services, and Fortuna, about twenty kilometres north, is a larger town with everything you might need. Eureka, the main city of the region, is a little further north on Humboldt Bay. The weather here is often foggy in the morning, especially in summer, and the temperatures are cool. Bring a warm layer, even in July.