Tea Grove Women’s Federation, known as the Women’s Grove by locals living in the area, was founded in the early 1930s by members of the California Federation of Women’s Clubs. Located on the banks of the South Fork of the River Eel, it is literally at the center of the Redwood Empire. It is less than a mile south of the world-famous Founder’s Tree on the old Highway 101, now called Avenue of the Giants, and about six miles north of the quaint town of Myers Flat, where the author lived as a child. .

The entrance to the park is on a hairpin bend in the road and is easy to miss. Traveling south on the Avenue of the Giants, the entrance to the grove is about a mile south of the Founder’s Tree. It will be the first turn to the right after going under the main road. The road to Woman’s Grove, which is about 1/8 mile long, is extremely narrow and not ideal for large trucks. If you have a large RV, it would be wise to send someone ahead to make sure the single lane road is clear before entering the grove.

Once there, you will find that the Grove of Women is one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, it is difficult to describe the tranquility of the place.

In addition to its magnificent redwoods, the grove has two main features. The grove’s picnic tables have been made from giant redwood logs 30 to 40 feet long. These solid wood tables are exclusive to Women’s Grove and you won’t find anything like them anywhere else in Humboldt County.

The second feature is even more unique. In 1933, world-renowned Bay Area architect Julia Morgan, of Hearst Castle fame, designed a four-sided covered exterior fireplace for the grove. This magnificent structure survives today just as it did when it was first built, although its redwood plank roof has been replaced several times in the last 80 years. The fireplaces are still working but to use them in one of them you will have to bring your own firewood, since it is not allowed to collect firewood in the grove.

In the past, when the state of California could afford it, a summer pedestrian bridge was installed each year to allow visitors to cross the Eel and visit the Rockefeller redwood forest across the river. Now you will have to wade across the river to do so. Unless you’re extremely fit and adventurous, it’s probably best to drive the short distance to Rockefeller’s Redwood Grove if you want to visit.

A short path on the north side of the grove leads to a nice swimming hole in the River Eel. The suitability of this swimming spot varies from year to year depending on factors such as rainfall. As a general rule, the Eel is a good river for swimming during the early summer months, in late summer and fall it is less swimmable due to moss, especially in dry years.

The Grove of Women is a very special place! You’re not going to want to just drive, look around for a few minutes, and drive to see another grove of redwoods. No, there are two great picnic areas in Northern California, this is one of them! So come prepared for the day. Bring a picnic basket and a bottle or two of good wine and plan on spending the day, and the night too if the weather is warm.

If possible, plan to visit on a weekday. Few tourists know the Bosque de las Mujeres, but the locals do; therefore, the grove will be busiest on weekends when people from Eureka and Fortuna come to the grove to escape the foggy summers in northern Humboldt County.

PS: In a future article I will tell you about the second great picnic area in Northern California. Until then!