advice for the coast?

[OCZ]

Hi folks, I'm planning a trip down the west coast starting around Astoria Oregon and ending with crossing the Golden Gate to head east toward Yosemite.
My big question is - how many days will I need for the coastal section along with what do I need to see and what can I ride on past. On advice from a friend I'm planning to overnight at the Crescent/Redwood KOA.
Other than that I'm open to all the advice I can get.

[vintagebob]

The pace will be slow down 101, so allow a good bit of time.

Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream!




Cranberry Sweets in Bandon




Trees of Mystery for a picture with Paul and Babe



The Avenue of the Giants (26 miles) is a MUST on the bike.

[EQPlayer]

Once you pass the Golden Gate bridge into San Francisco, keep going down Hwy 1. About 100 miles later you'll be in Monterey, south from there is Big Sur. You MUST ride that!

From Cambria, take Santa Rosa Creek Road to Hwy 46. Go south on 101 to 58, take that a few miles to 229 and loop 229 a few times.

After all of that, THEN think about Yosemite.

[OCZ]

Hmm, it's doubtfull that I'll go further south than San Fran. I didn't bore yall with details but the PCH will be in the middle of a very long ride - Glacier NP, Washington St, Yosemite, and starting and leaving from the east coast so...I wanna hit the highlights on the PCH but not "waste" time there that I could be spending riding somewhere else. Thanks for the input.

[Tom1500]

The North Coast ride is great, but you can do it in a single day from Crescent City, or take a couple days, depending on how you want to roll. I always have trouble slowing down as I like to roll through the twisties, but I know I miss a lot of things along the way. Your question has been asked many times, and using a search engine with the keywords :Pacific Coast Highway PCH North site:Pashnit.com will get you some very good result.

Tim has set up the entire northern PCH from Leggett to San Francisco in his premium ride maps with hundreds of photos and suggestions. Yeah, you'll have to cough up $20 to view that, but he also has you covered for the Yosemite portion of your trip. Might be worth it. I highly recommend it as a means to support Pashnit, as well as get the most from your trip. In the end, only you can make the decisions of what's worthwhile to see. This gives you the best shot of getting that information in one place.

There is so much to see along this stretch. As you approach the Bay Area, you might consider going to the top of Mount Tamalpais for one of the best views on the coast. The Marin Headlands is a definite must just before you cross the Golden Gate Bridge. It will take less than 1/2 hour to do the entire loop if you exit on Conzelman Rd with stunning views of the Golden Gate, and go all the way to the top, then take the steep descent to Fort Barry. Exit back to US101 via Bunker Road, or loiter on the beach at the end of Mitchell Rd.

[Orson]

I agree that you can ride the north coast in one day, but it's your first time, I would suggest taking two days and stopping to smell the roses.

Besides, you'll probably be pulling over every 100 yards to snap a picture

Mendocino is a lovely place to spend the night.

[Scarman]

Depending on the weather, all you might see of the coast is wet fog. I rode down the northern coast last July and I could barely see Mendocino through the fog. I didn't see much of anything all day, including the sun, until I turned towards Santa Rosa from Bodega Bay.

[Ally House]

How many miles a day, and what are you interested in seeing? I'd recommend two days for the Oregon coast, and there are some nice side trips along the way that wouldn't eat too much time.

[CRASH]

Originally Posted by Scarman

Depending on the weather, all you might see of the coast is wet fog. I rode down the northern coast last July and I could barely see Mendocino through the fog. I didn't see much of anything all day, including the sun, until I turned towards Santa Rosa from Bodega Bay.

And when you saw the sun, the temp probably changed from 50F to 105F too. I did a run with a buddy last year up there and we froze or roasted the entire time ... it was glorious. Still love the coast, but the sunny days are November and December time frame.

If you are doing the north coast to SF, there really is a lot to see, do and EAT. Various cheese factories, oysters, stay in Fort Bragg and eat at the brewery, you are already driving through the trees and there are a few large drive through trees as well. Several off shoot roads (like HWY 36) which will delight .... you could spend weeks up there playing.

[OCZ]

This trip could get out of hand in a hurry. Every day I add means I lose a day somewhere else. I'm planning on seeing Seattle, Mt St Helens, Mt Ranier,Crater Lake and the Columbia River Gorge before I hit the PCH, so time will be at a premium.
Avenue of the Giants is a must see and someone was telling me a vague story about some little town on the PCH - they described it as a town that time forgot...maybe they'd just watched cars or something?
Is there a good time to cross the Golden Gate? A time with less traffic?