Cyclist0108

Delay your trip, wait to get the vaccine, wait for better weather, and the road will either be fixed or a temporary path will be made. You will be missing the best part of the ride if you go inland.

The debris flows will make off-camber detours difficult in the whole of the burn scar area. I live in the middle of the Santa Cruz one. We've had a pretty dry winter, but it is still a mess.

squirtdad

OP please note more rain is likely between now and March (it is raining to day) and overall because of last summers fires the expectation is more landslides, so there could be more issues by your ride time

Also note that between the coast and inland are some pretty decent mountains, that is why there are not really any little detours, you need to get east of the mountains as noted in the suggested routes that have been posted (101, king City, etc)

scott967

I have a home (now a rental) off of Resevation Rd, if you want a flat detour that is the way. But if you like climbing, consider going down to Carmel Valley and go over the mountains that way. Going from memory, but I think you come out around Greenfield. I used to do a lot of backpacking back in there years ago, in the Ventana wilderness.

scott s.
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cjenrick

there are dirt fire roads back in there used by the forest service but they are steep and meander quite a bit, would not be good for a fully loaded tour bike,

there was a big fire last year in that area so more closures are possible if they get a good rain storm,

plenty of other roads to bike while they fix that one,

downhillmaster

Any decent cyclist could easily jump that.
Not sure what the big deal is here

diphthong

sounds like the op is flying into san francisco and out of la but didn't see that stated specifically in this thread...maybe i missed it.
nothing quite like big sur but this closure is a big monkey wrench. recommendation is to postpone this ride and do it another year
when the road is reopened in its entirety. if tickets are already bought/plans are largely etched in stone tho, here are my recommendations:

if it could be swung, take the amtrak from san francisco (assuming you're flying into sfo) down to paso robles and start cycling from there.
head west towards ca hwy 1 from paso robles (about an hour's ride with some decent uphills but mostly downhill) via ca hwy 46. hang a right on
highway 1 and go as far north as you can. you won't be able to ride the entire big sur stretch but you'll definitely get a big sample size and appreciate
it. that's the good news. the bad news is that you'll be haunted by the section you couldn't do. still, better to have loved and lost...
enjoy and return south along ca hwy 1. this way, you'll at least have sampled a big chunk of what you came all this way to ride. the reroutes
on this page are accurate and worthy and there is some great central california scenery enroute. my beef with them is riding naciamento-fergusson rd
currently. with ca hwy 1 out again, the delivery truck/traffic along this road will again spike like it did just a few years ago when the landslide and
road failure on the coast hwy prompted a massive increase of naciamento-fergusson traffic. it's a gorgeous but demanding road in many places and it's not meant
to take on as much traffic as it will see for the foreseeable future. safety-wise, not recommending it for touring cyclists under these conditions.
there may be others that disagree. naciamento-fergusson has camping but last time ca hwy 1 closed, camping got closed/truncated and it looks like
the same has come to pass now. appears like naciamento-fergusson rd. may even be closed...

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/lpnf/...telprdb5347980

so that's my reason(s) for not relying on naciamento-fergusson rd. being passable/open. not saying a cyclist couldn't do it but i wouldn't count on it at this point.

you can easily head south along the coast via hwy 1 and it's plenty scenic until morro bay where the coastal hwy diverts inland until pismo beach.
that's the bad news. the good news is that san luis obispo is quaint, low-key and charming central coast personified. if you're into wine, there is solid wine country
afoot and it continues southwards thru arroyo grande (small but cute), santa maria (little charm but good-sized for lodging/food/repairs/supplies), orcutt (postcard-sized
but quaint) and the lompoc/buelton/solvang trifecta of smaller cities which marks the southern end of the true california wine country. ca hwy 101 southbound from the
lompoc area all the way to santa barbara has a good-sized shoulder along what is, essentially, a freeway. once through the tunnels south of lompoc, it's easy riding with
the prevailing winds at your back. support/supplies are still hit and miss until you hit goleta (north of santa barbara) so stock up when you can beforehand.
the coastal riding is generally flat as you continue past santa barbara, carpinteria and ventura. once to ventura, the coast hwy heads slightly inland, goes through oxnard,
and finally enters into los angeles county and malibu. scenic but plenty of traffic and cars pulling in and out and surfers extending surfboards into your bike lane so
be on guard for 25 miles into santa monica and the west side of la.

diphthong

[QUOTE=nvossoug;21919238]As some of you might be aware, a section of Highway 1 in Big Sur is closed. This throws a ratchet into my planned bike trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Can anyone recommend an alternative route from Santa Cruz to Morro Beach State Park? I have two days to get from the former to the latter and would like to bicycle no more than 90 miles per day. I am contemplating taking Route 101, but I'd prefer to take backgrounds, to avoid traffic, and perhaps enjoy better scenery. Any advice? My trip is scheduled for late March. Also, can anyone recommend a camping spot between these two locations?[/QUOTE]

you may want to pose this specific question in the touring forum. things are still dicey with covid-10 closures on/off in the last year. tuff time to be touring/traveling.

Gyro

Took a virtual car ride down south from Big Sur last night. Yup that wouldn't work.

rydabent

Depending on how much they have closed on either side of the slid, it would be a great place to bike. No traffic at all, and the whole road to yourself.

Cyclist0108

For yet more scintillating discussion of this topic: https://www.bikeforums.net/cyclocros...h-big-sur.html

Reflector Guy

Years ago, we tried to drive the coast highway and had to make a very long detour through the Central Valley on I-5 due to mudslides. Unfortunately I can't remember the location or the extent of the closures after all these years. But we wound up on the Interstate nearly the whole way up to Los Banos or thereabouts.

vane171

I am sure, Peter Sagan would

scott967

Not sure why you take the 5 instead of the 101 / Ventura Fwy up to Salinas and cut over from there.

I did check Google and Carmel Valley Rd to Arroyo Seco in Salinas Valley to Greenfield would get you off Hwy 1 north of Big Sur. Didn't ever go on the south side but I would follow previous advice re Naciamento. Don't know though with the fires of recent seasons how that affected things.

scott s.
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Reflector Guy

I don't know either, but I wasn't the one driving. And there was no Google to check in those days.

Cyclist0108

Just follow the dotted red line, hike-a-bike, and don't get doored by the cop.

UncleG

New tracks will opening up soon... count on it.

nvossoug

I definitely gave this option some careful thought - and would probably pursue it were it not for the fact that the section that is closed is over 20 miles and is said to be policed 24-7. I don't want to risk going south past Big Sur, only to have to turn back to Carmel and go around. I'm inclined to take a route via Carmel Valley.

themp

Ride down to Rat Creek as far as they will allow and then back to the first car rental place that is available(Carmel, Monterey). Looks like 40+ mile so round trip, so about 90. Rent a car and drive to the nearest place they will let you drop it off on US1. Then ride up to Rat Creek and back to LA(or as far north as you have time for). It will add a few days to your trip.

Another crazy idea is to contact the fire chief here:

https://www.bigsurfire.org/

and explain your problem and see if they know of a way using fire roads around it. Dolan Ridge road will get you to the top of Rat Creek, but getting to the other side and down is the hard part. Maybe the fire folks know a way.

Cyclist0108

When are you planning to go? I live in Santa Crud and can try to see how far I can get (if it stops raining for a few days) in mid-March.

afm199

I lived in Big Sur for eight years. It's not possible. Or rather, it is theoretically, but it's not going to happen unless you have plenty of money to make it happen.

afm199

Don't do this. Period.

KFC

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35123834

sunburst

that's a drag because you have to bypass what is arguably the nicest coastline in America.
btw, the year my son did the AIDS Lifecycle route (SF to LA), they had to bypass part of the Big Sur coast. I never got the new route from him though. It was 2-3 years ago.

mstateglfr 

sure its a drag, but what you complain about it avoiding isn't accessible.
no good deed...

BurleyCat

I lived in the southern portion of the area for years. If my memory is correct you can take Carmel Valley Rd to King City. Once you reach 101 there will be a turn off on Hwy 46 that rejoins Hwy 1 just south of Cambria. Maybe someone else has offered this option, and I recommend confirming the northern link ahead of time, but it's a preferable option to some of the others offered here. Enjoy.