Photo via Google, Benbow Historic InnBenbow Historic Inn
- Hours
- Today: Open 24 hours
- Getting there
- Just south of Garberville off Highway 101, on the Eel River behind a small summer dam that forms Lake Benbow
Why it’s in the log
The Benbow Historic Inn is a half-timbered Tudor-revival building from 1926, set on the Eel River a couple of miles south of Garberville. It was built to catch travelers on what was then a new highway south to the redwoods, and it still functions that way — a formal, slightly out-of-place lodge in the middle of logging country.
Inside it keeps the period furniture and dark wood paneling rather than a modern remodel, with a restaurant and bar on site so a stay here doesn't require driving back into town for dinner. In summer, a seasonal dam turns the river out front into a swimmable lake.
A natural stop for anyone driving the Avenue of the Giants — close enough to the redwoods to base a night or two here rather than pushing further north.
What people said recently
From Google reviews · see all 1,137 ↗
“Benbow Inn is a great historic property deep in the redwoods. The rooms are spacious but the beds are tired - you will be too. The green LEDs on the smoke detectors are very bright. The mini splits keeping you cool are surprisingly noisy…”
“I've no idea about the actual hotel but the outside looks real nice. I'm writing this review to try and help get the word out. The fireworks display is comparable to the Eureka city show. I'd never even heard about Benbow putting on a show…”
“Spent 1 night here on our road trip through the Redwoods and thought it was great. Our room had an actual golden house key to open the door, which was pretty fun given you’re staying at a historic hotel. The grounds and courtyard were…”
