I'm planning a Seattle – Santa Cruz trip next year and I know nothing about this section. Google suggests heading south towards Red Bluff, then taking Forest Route 23N02 and continuing west through Covelo and Laytonville before hitting US 1 at Wages Creek Beach 20 miles north of Fort Bragg. How are the conditions on that ride? Will the forest road be doable on 38c semi-knobby tires? And are there any better/pretty routes to get to the coast from Redding?
Once I'm on the coast I'm planning to stay on US 1 until I hit the Golden Gate Bridge, then from there either head through San Jose inside the bay, do some gravel riding in the mountains, or continue on US 1. Any preferences between these routes?
Thanks in advance y'all.
by backlikeclap
1 Comment
Is there a reason you don’t want to ride the traditional route down the fantastic Oregon Coast? Because that is what most people do from Seattle on down to California, thereby not going thru Redding at all. The route you describe sounds remote and harsh. And again from San Francisco to Santa Cruz is a glorious day along the coast – it makes no sense to avoid that to go inland thru miles of urbanity to San Jose.