Looking for Route Tips: Bicycle Touring with Baby in Far Northern California
07-24-23, 07:47 PM
#1
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Looking for Route Tips: Bicycle Touring with Baby in Far Northern California
Hi everyone,
We’re hoping to plan a bicycle tour next summer with our then 18 month old daughter. We’re hoping for car-free routes (no highways like 101) that could be done with a bike trailer or possibly a seat attached to the bike. Goal would be to camp with access to water, but it can be primitive camping — we can filter water if need be. Not sure on total distance, but planning for two nights.
I’m just not having much luck finding something that isn’t on a shared roadway. I’ve done plenty of road cycling here, and people are definitely not the most attentive to cyclists.
Hoping to find something in far northern CA (north of Sacramento), but open to surrounding areas in Southern Oregon.
Any ideas?
We’re hoping to plan a bicycle tour next summer with our then 18 month old daughter. We’re hoping for car-free routes (no highways like 101) that could be done with a bike trailer or possibly a seat attached to the bike. Goal would be to camp with access to water, but it can be primitive camping — we can filter water if need be. Not sure on total distance, but planning for two nights.
I’m just not having much luck finding something that isn’t on a shared roadway. I’ve done plenty of road cycling here, and people are definitely not the most attentive to cyclists.
Hoping to find something in far northern CA (north of Sacramento), but open to surrounding areas in Southern Oregon.
Any ideas?
08-11-23, 11:58 AM
#2
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The low population of that area is an issue, for sure. There is a paved bike path along the west shore of Lake Almanor, and quite a few bike paths on the north and south sections of Lake Tahoe, but between them one must traverse some sections of shoulderless and often busy two-lane highways. That's about all that I know of...
Lassen Natl'l Park is mountainous, but traffic is limited to 35 mph and the tourists have been polite in my experience. There are a couple of nice campgrounds at Manzanita and Summit Lakes.
Hmmm---you might try some of the paved yet lightly traveled back roads east of Mt Shasta, but you don't want Hwy 89. There's also a rail trail there, but I think the surface is a bit loose--volcanic cinders, in fact.
Lassen Natl'l Park is mountainous, but traffic is limited to 35 mph and the tourists have been polite in my experience. There are a couple of nice campgrounds at Manzanita and Summit Lakes.
Hmmm---you might try some of the paved yet lightly traveled back roads east of Mt Shasta, but you don't want Hwy 89. There's also a rail trail there, but I think the surface is a bit loose--volcanic cinders, in fact.
08-11-23, 12:40 PM
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I think you'll find the road along the Klamath River (route 96) would be enjoyable: it is a long ride, but the stretches I like the most are from Happy Camp east/north to just a few miles east of Hamburg, you'll see a road that goes up the Scott River to Ft. Jones. From there Rt3 down to Ft Etna and Callahan is nice, especially if you take the Eastside road (Which is not rt 3 but follows it....arf) . Keep going south on 3 past callahan and you'll a road called the CAllahan/Gazelle road, through farming and ranching country, lots of side roads off of it as well, which form a network between the Scott River and old highway 99.
If you like to climb, there are a few on this route already. There is a big climb from Happy Camp over to O'Brien in Oregon, which unfortunately got very burned out a few years ago. But it's a great lesson in how pathetic foresting policy (NOT global 'warming') have whacked out our forests. In any case it brings you into Oregon on the upper reaches of the Illinois river. The Redwood Highway (199) to the california coast is very tricky in sections, very good shoulder and/or light traffic in others, a spectacular descent to the coast. Keep your eye out for bigfoot.
How you would get to this "far northern region" is up to you to research, but once there some of these areas are worth riding through.
If you like to climb, there are a few on this route already. There is a big climb from Happy Camp over to O'Brien in Oregon, which unfortunately got very burned out a few years ago. But it's a great lesson in how pathetic foresting policy (NOT global 'warming') have whacked out our forests. In any case it brings you into Oregon on the upper reaches of the Illinois river. The Redwood Highway (199) to the california coast is very tricky in sections, very good shoulder and/or light traffic in others, a spectacular descent to the coast. Keep your eye out for bigfoot.
How you would get to this "far northern region" is up to you to research, but once there some of these areas are worth riding through.
08-13-23, 06:45 PM
#4
Junior Member
Maybe the Bizz Johnson Trail?
https://www.traillink.com/trail/bizz...reation-trail/
https://www.traillink.com/trail/bizz...reation-trail/
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08-15-23, 06:34 AM
#5
Miles to Go
Bizz Johnson is an option, but I would recommend the El Dorado as it is in your backyard::
https://www.railstotrails.org/trailb...in-california/
(Getting to the traillink.com maps is free with a registered account).
Tahoe might be an option also especially if you don't want to camp.
Here is a general reference:
https://www.calbike.org/go_for_a_ride/map_routes/
https://www.railstotrails.org/trailb...in-california/
(Getting to the traillink.com maps is free with a registered account).
Tahoe might be an option also especially if you don't want to camp.
Here is a general reference:
https://www.calbike.org/go_for_a_ride/map_routes/
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