Hale Rd, Fiddletown, CA
Hale Rd is a narrow, single-lane backroad that connects Fiddletown with Volcano in the Sierra Nevada foothills. If you're stitching together a north-south route through the Gold Country, you will definitely want to add this one to your route plans.
Goat trails aren't for everyone, but some of us absolutely live for them. The last time I rode this, a gaggle of supermotos went zipping by in the opposite direction, every single rider grinning ear-to-ear as they flashed on past. Most of the pavement was resurfaced a few years ago, save for a short, weathered section just outside Fiddletown.
There is also a concrete water crossing in the middle (no bridge), so depending on the time of year, your ride might include a shallow splash. By summer it’s bone dry, but during the spring, the concrete can get slick. If it has water, glide, steady power across—and no brakes allowed.
To find it, Hale Rd is just outside Fiddletown—and yes, town lore involves fiddles, although several stories compete for the origin of the name. (That's a whole 'nother article) Head south, cross the creek bed, and zip on up the hill to reach Shake Ridge Rd. From there, you can connect to Volcano via Rams Horn Grade (fast and twisty) or Charleston Rd (steep, narrows to single-lane).
Volcano makes for the perfect lunch stop at the Sizemore Country Store. But wait, there's more: This unassuming general store doesn't just stock Root Bear for the tour guide—it hides a restaurant in the back that we use as our lunch stop. It also claims the title of California's oldest continuously operating restaurant, serving hungry travelers, and hungry bikers, since 1852.
A stop in Volcano is mandatory. Plus did you know that Black Chasm Cavern—a 225-foot-deep vertical cave that goes straight down rather than spreading out—is open to the public within walking distance of downtown Volcano? It’s amazing and a must-visit. Once you're done exploring the cave, continue south and ride the super twisty Highway 26 next.
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