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The Redwoods Ride
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*Member Suggested Rides have not been ridden or tested in anyway by the HRCA. They have only been validated for appropriate content at the time of submission. Road conditions may have changed since the time of submission. You assume full responsibility for your safety when embarking on any of these suggested rides.
Rides Direction
Route summary
Start: San Francisco, California, United States
End: Santa Cruz, California, United States
Total distance: 123.77 miles
Estimated time: 3 hours

Driving directions
Segment 1
1. Depart Start on US-101 [Van Ness Ave] (South) 0.19 mi
2. Turn LEFT (East) onto Fell St 0.11 mi
3. Road name changes to 10th St 0.61 mi
4. Take Ramp (LEFT) onto US-101 [James Lick Fwy] 9.72 mi
5. At exit 423B, take Ramp (RIGHT) onto I-380 1.77 mi
6. Take Ramp onto I-280 [Junipero Serra Fwy] 8.61 mi
7. Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto SR-35 [Skyline Blvd] 1.27 mi
8. Turn RIGHT (South-West) onto SR-35 [SR-92] 2.02 mi
9. Bear RIGHT (West) onto SR-92 5.13 mi
10. Turn LEFT (South) onto SR-1 [Cabrillo Hwy S] 31.27 mi
11. Turn LEFT (North-East) onto Swanton Rd 1.13 mi
12. Bear LEFT (North) onto Last Chance Rd 6.44 mi
13. Bear LEFT (North-West) onto Local road(s) 0.15 mi
Segment 2
1. At Stop 1, return South-East on Local road(s) 0.15 mi
2. Bear RIGHT (South) onto Last Chance Rd 6.43 mi
3. Bear RIGHT (South) onto Swanton Rd 1.13 mi
4. Turn LEFT (South-East) onto SR-1 [Cabrillo Hwy] 7.63 mi
5. Turn LEFT (North-East) onto Bonny Doon Rd 3.67 mi
6. Keep STRAIGHT onto Pine Flat Rd 3.73 mi
7. Bear LEFT (East) onto Local road(s) 0.03 mi
8. Bear LEFT (North) onto Empire Grade Rd 1.97 mi
9. Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto Alba Rd 3.72 mi
10. Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto SR-9 0.27 mi
11. Keep RIGHT onto Mill St 0.06 mi
12. Keep RIGHT to stay on Mill St 0.01 mi
Segment 3
1. At Stop 2, return West on Mill St 0.06 mi
2. Bear LEFT (West) onto SR-9 0.27 mi
3. Turn LEFT (West) onto Alba Rd 3.72 mi
4. Turn LEFT (South) onto Empire Grade Rd 1.97 mi
5. Bear RIGHT (South) onto Local road(s) 0.03 mi
6. Bear RIGHT (West) onto Pine Flat Rd 3.65 mi
Segment 4
1. At Stop 3, return North on Pine Flat Rd 1.54 mi
2. Turn RIGHT (South) onto Ice Cream Grade 2.63 mi
3. Road name changes to Felton Empire Rd 3.73 mi
4. Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-9 0.19 mi
Segment 5
1. At Stop 4, stay on SR-9 (North) 0.14 mi
2. Keep RIGHT onto Local road(s) 0.04 mi
3. Bear RIGHT (East) onto Graham Hill Rd 0.14 mi
4. Turn LEFT (North) onto Mt Hermon Rd 3.54 mi
5. Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto SR-17 3.51 mi
6. Road name changes to SR-1 [SR-17] 1.19 mi
7. Keep LEFT onto SR-1 [Cabrillo Hwy] 0.03 mi
8. Keep STRAIGHT onto Chestnut St 0.21 mi
Segment 6
1. Arrive End 0.00 mi
Rides Description
Sketch a circle around the southwestern quadrant of the San Francisco Bay Area and you encompass a pair of urban heavyweights: the world-famous "city by the bay", plus the undisputed champion of the computer world, Silicon Valley. So it may come as a surprise that Northern California's urban/suburban Bay Area also includes a series of easily accessible world-class motorcycling roads-gorgeous, spiraling two-laners that swoop in and out of redwoods, moss and ferns, emerging with a flair at the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The linchpin of this motorcycling wonderland runs down the spine of the San Francisco Peninsula along Highway 35, better know as Skyline Boulevard. At the crossroads of Skyline and Woodside Road you'll find Alice's Restaurant, the famed (at least locally) gathering spot for motorcyclists. Although most of the riding crowd congregates on the weekend, you'll also find bikes of all stripes and flavors here any time during the week. Mid-week is also the much-preferred time to ride these wonderful roads, thanks to a substantial drop-off in traffic. North to south, the entire length of Skyline spans barely more than 30 miles, terminating at a Tee in the road about a dozen miles short of Santa Cruz, a laid-back town that lies on the shores of the Pacific. Within that 30 or so miles, however, more than a half-dozen smaller roads branch off to the west, stitching their way down to the ocean's edge to meet Highway 1, and then back up to the heights of Skyline once again. The beauty of this interlacing system grows apparent as you begin on one end and crisscross the area, working your way north or south in the process. You'll encounter a scant few refreshment stops along the way, but the real joy is in the riding. Some of the roads seem ancient; on the wild and wooly Tunitas Creek Road, for example, dual-sport bikes are the hot ticket for negotiating the ultra-bumpy and super-tight twisties that dodge around old-growth trees draped with Spanish Moss. In stark contrast, Pescadero Road, which joins up with Alpine Road as it nears Skyline, is a sportbike rider's dream come true, offering great pavement interspersed with fantastic lookout points where the views can be enjoyed to their fullest. Farther south, you'll hit the crossroads where Highway 236 dives west off of Skyline Boulevard, leading to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park, established in 1902. The combination of Highways 9 and 236 makes a nice loop leading through the park, so you don't have to backtrack-unless you want to enjoy the splendid roads a second time, but going the opposite way. Big Basin is certainly worth a least a short stay, as it encompasses more than 18,000 acres, with more than 80 miles of hiking trails passing along streams, waterfalls and old-growth redwood forest. Continuing south on Highway 9, you'll encounter colorful little towns hidden away in the redwoods, villages carrying names such as Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon and Felton. Many of the refugees from San Francisco's 1960s' hippie era settled in around these parts. At this point, you can squirt down Bonny Doon Road and then cruise back north along the coast on a scenic portion of Highway 1. This portion of the Coast Highway isn't as spectacular as that most famous stretch of Highway 1 that twists its way south of Monterey, but it's still a nice ride all in all. Or you can lope on into Santa Cruz for a meal and a walk along it the Beach Boardwalk, which still sports California's only seaside amusement park. Two of the Boardwalk's classic stars include the Looff carousel, built in 1911, which boasts the original 342-pipe band organ that plays a delightful medley of early-20th-century musical accompaniment during the ride. For something a little more exciting, there's the Giant Dipper, a classic wooden roller coaster that has thrilled more than 50 million riders since it first opened in 1924. But more likely than not, the best ride of the day will happen when you leave Santa Cruz aboard your faithful mount and hook up with Skyline and more of its spectacular, redwood-laden arteries during your ride home.
Rides Photos