msviolin57

I'm planning a self-supported trip down the coast this summer, and I'm wondering about state parks in California, specifically about hiker/biker sites. What are the conditions of the parks? In the past I read that many were going to close. I've also read that they're not in great shape (no showers, etc.).

I appreciate any help/advice from those who know.

Crimsonghost

https://www.parks.ca.gov/

Most of the parks ive been to are pretty well maintaned. Showers on the otherhand can be few and far between.

TheHen

Not so much campground information as a route suggestion. If you would rather climb a steep hill or ten with no traffic rather than cruise the flat highway with disappearing shoulders, I recommend the Lost Coast. It means missing the Avenue of the Giants, but I think it is well worth it to avoid the dangerous section of U.S. 101 just south of the Avenue. You can choose almost all paved roads, but the last 25 miles (Usul Rd.) us unpaved. About the only store is in Honeydew, just ten miles from camp A. W. Way https://co.humboldt.ca.us/portal/livi...asp?parkid=awp which has a single cold shower and a warm river. I think other campgrounds in the Lost Coast are primitive, often involving filtering creek water with the possible exception of the two at Shelter Cove that I have never camped at.

DG Going Uphill

I haven't done the Lost Coast, but the Avenue of the Giants is a do not miss in my opinion. It was one of the highlights of my coast tour. I also had no issues with the 101 stretch and enjoyed being able to cruise at top speed for a while, but having a rearview mirror will help you feel better at all exits.

The campgrounds are the best in Oregon but all on my trip were nice and everyone I stopped at had showers. I didn't go south of Myer's Flat, so I can't speak to what the rest of the route holds. I think it's worth the investment of getting the cycling the coast book that everyone uses, which does a great job outlining what each campground has in terms of amenities and alternatives.

While this is the California group, I think you will find more with the experience you are looking for in the touring group, so I recommend posting there.

SClaraPokeman

I did a camping trip in ’85 from Seattle to La Jolla using the Kirkendale/Spring book ‘Bicycling the Pacific Coast’. I don’t know if the book is still available, and if it is how au courant the information remains, but it literally covered every mile and was invaluable to me in helping me understand what to expect.

In Oregon and northern California, I wasn’t troubled too much by logging trucks, but at least a few times if I was climbing, I pulled off the roads when I heard them behind me. I spoke with one logging truck driver at a rest stop and (he was a college graduate) who said he didn’t mind bicycles, but did appreciate it if they let him pass on a narrow mountain road. At least the truck drivers were professionals IMO, and it was really motorhomes, driven by old codgers that scared me more…

That said, along the Oregon coast and on other roads I remember having shoulders—it wasn’t like all the time I was out in traffic.

Camping was really cheap at the time. Primitive, yes, but I’d usually outfit myself with food from the local store for the consuming at the campsite. I also camped at some school grounds (a principal saw me once and asked me to stay on guard for vandals). A couple of times I sneaked into HS locker rooms and took showers (I was only 27), but yeah, you may have to “skip” a time or two (I usually had enough beer and other stuff after the riding that I didn’t really care).

Further down the road climbing 101 into Lompoc I remember seeing several roadkill rattlesnakes. About three times I pulled my shoes from the pedals and nearly tipped over in a panic before realizing that they were no threat…

I had a great tailwind almost the whole trip (it was in September) and that made a big difference considering I had about 25 lbs of gear (of course I was 165 lbs then, 195 now).

I did encounter other cycle tourists and rode with a handful of them several days. I meet two unemployed miners from W.Virginia wearing Levis and riding Schwinn High Sierra MBs who had actually ridden from their homes to Seattle and were on the way to Mexico. They rode two days about 2 inches from my rear wheel. ..

A lot I remember that I can’t write here. It was a wonderful trip. I glad I didn’t have a family then because it wouldn’t be the kind of thing I’d do today.

prathmann

I've ridden the stretch from SF south to Cambria quite frequently and the hiker-biker areas in the campgrounds have been fine. Most, but not all, have coin-operated showers (bring quarters). Sometimes there have been park closures due to fire damage - e.g. a couple years ago Big Sur and Lime Kiln were both closed so I stayed at Kirk Creek instead where there were no showers and the water spigots warned that treatment was required. The last few years there have been warnings that additional parks might be closed due to budget concerns, so you might want to check with the individual parks before you leave on your trip.

bikingshearer 

Get this book. There is at least a 2nd edition, and maybe even a 3rd. But get this book. It is a tremendous resource.Also, get the Krebs Northern California coast route map. It is a veritable treasure trove of info. Look up Krebs on line - I'm sure you can order it directly from them.

The book and the map, between them, should also have great contact info for the State Parks folks who can probably give you up-to-the-minute info about State Park amenities, closure status, tips about how to get the most bang ofr you buck, etc.

The Oregon state govt. also issues a state-wide cycling map, or at least they used to. Try googling "oregon bicycle map" or some such - I bet you can get one. I got one some years back for free or very low cost.

Glad to see you are going north to south. Absolutely the only way to go unless you reeeaaaaallllly like non-stop headwinds.

Be prepared for hot sunny days, cold foggy/drizzly days, and everything in between. You will have some of each. That means layers. It also means be prepared to camp in damp to downright wet conditions - it can happen, especially close to the coast.

Have a great trip. It will be a blast for you.

msviolin57

Thanks for the responses. I have spent a lot of time in the Touring forum, but it's also good to hear from "locals."

B. Carfree

The former finest accommodation on the NorCal coast is no longer available. The Redwood Hostel, about ten miles south of Crescent City, closed its doors a year ago due to the need for both seismic and ADA retrofitting. It was a truly wonderful place to stay. You may see it listed on some old maps, so I thought you should be forewarned.

+1 on the Lost Coast suggestion. Bring low gears, good brakes, a chain tool, water filter and maybe off-road tires. The solitude along the Lost Coast is striking compared to the roads more traveled. Also, since there are so few people there, they tend to be much friendlier than the ones you will encounter on the main highway.

Both ODOT and CALtrans have route information on their websites. Be sure to check those out. Also, both states place signage along the way directing you off the main highway in a number of places. I would just add: be extra wary in Coos County and in the section just south of Crescent City. Don't expect the motorists, especially the truckers, to cut you any slack whatsoever in those places. I wish I could remember the word a Frenchman I chatted with on my last trip down the coast used to describe the people in those two places, but it translated as "I hate myself".

prathmann

My copy is the 4th edition and is now 6 years old - haven't seen any more recent version.

msviolin57

I bought the newest "Bicycling the Pacific Coast" a few months ago, and, yeah, it was the 4th edition.

johntrev

Go with the Krebs maps. Don't bother with the Kirkendale/Spring book - the information is dated and not very well presented.

msviolin57

Thanks. That's on my to buy list.