nvossoug

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?

pdlamb

Adventure Cycling has posted a (rather long) detour: PC04 Detour 2021 - A bike ride in Marina, CA (ridewithgps.com)

It's possible shorter detours will be possible as CalTrans clears some of the other, shorter slides on that stretch. Pity, as that stretch is one of the highlights of the ride.

mstateglfr 

Down Hwy1 its 175mi from Santa Cruz to the park. Tough to hope for a detour around mountains to be less than 180mi.

Here is a nice 7700' climb over 200mi of secondary roads. Certainly will have some scenery compared to main highway riding. Its similar to the ACA route posted above.

Gyro

Have someone at or neat Lucia take you pass the break by boat and pickup Hyw1 again were convenient?

nvossoug

Is that possible? I do not know the area well - I'm am east coaster...

nvossoug

Can you post a link to the secondary roads I could take? Thanks!

Gyro

If that for me I'm east coast too. Thinking out side of the box.

indyfabz

Think you forgot to include the link.

2old

Might check Cycle World or Motorcyclist magazine (online only now). A couple of guys did it on motorcycles a couple of years ago when another section had been washed out.

Bosco13

I would not consider 101 an option. I'm not even sure it's legal in some sections. The link above seems reasonable. However, since you'd be missing the most beautiful section of the ride I wouldn't do it until hwy 1 reopens. The other option would be to go north. The scenery is amazing.

mstateglfr 

Ha! Good point.
Its a screenshot of google maps.


edited to add- here is a quickly created GPS route link. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35170622
At the mid point, so miles 90-110 or so, you ride thru Greenfield and King City. That may help for campground searches.
edited again- this is another option. fewer miles, but less coastal riding. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35170659

You should sat view whatever route you choose/create as some of the area between Monterey and Morro is serious wilderness. You dont want google maps taking you down a hiking path that it thinks is a road.

Iride01 

I'd postpone your ride and find something else till they get that stretch re-opened. The views are too good to miss. Perhaps you might go from Sausalito north on Hwy 1. That has excellent views too.

nvossoug

Mstateglfr, this is incredible. Thank you so much!

Gresp15C

Given there will be virtually no cars, I'll bet that out-and-back rides on highway 1 will be popular this summer. I'd sure be tempted if I lived anywhere close.

Barry2 

Why does Google Maps tell you to go around (224miles) if you ask for directions by Car.
BUT tells you go go direct (25 miles) if you ask for directions by Bike ?

It it possible that the closure is only for vehicles?


Click "more options" to open the link, then try clicking bike/car in the top left corner

All the best

Barry

mstateglfr 

For sure- hope it helps get you started on nailing down a route that works. My parents moved out to Half Moon Bay CA when I went to college so all my visits 'home' were to a new place where I knew nobody. Each day I grabbed a car and drove all over central CA from Marin County east to wine country, down all thru the Bay Area, then down thru Santa Cruz and past Pebble to Big Sur. Each visit I would hit up a different section of central CA thru a few days of driving. Its a super cool area and I am really jealous you get to experience it at a bike's pace! Hopefully you can make a detour work out so that it isnt just a struggle-fest and you can enjoy the ride too.

vane171

When the road is washed in places, that makes it impassable for most vehicles but with bike, you can walk it or shoulder it and make few hundred feet detour through the surrounding countryside to bypass the washed out section(s).

Problem might be, this being CA, you might be prevented doing that for various reasons. In Europe where I live and bike, there was a bridge under repair for a good part of the year and on my rides, I needed to cross that bridge and did so on several occasions (after work hours but even with some workers present, they would just look and let me go past them) until the construction took a more serious turn and it was not passable at all. But if that was not a bridge but a road, on bike or on foot you stand good chance bypassing the place.

mstateglfr 

For reference, this is the issue.
I guess you can technically go around anything if you are willing to.

Ogsarg

I live on the central coast and there are plenty of roads to take. I like the use of Reservation road off 1 to get over near the 101 corridor. Most of it has a good shoulder and not much traffic after you pass Hwy 68. Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd through Fort Hunter Ligget and over to the coast is an awesome road but last I heard it has closures. Might be ok by the time you take your trip but I would check regularly. This road also has some long steep sections and is very windy. The descent from the crest down to 1 on a loaded touring bike will test your brakes.

There are various backroads that sort of parallel 101 or you can go inland at King City and pick up 25 and the Peachtree/Indian Valley Rd. That will take you down to San Miguel or all the way to Paso Robles. The only caution here is that the roads you would be on between King City and San Miguel are pretty deserted and there are no services at all including no place to get water so you need to be prepared for that.

From Paso I would take 46 over to Old Creek Rd and down into Cayucos. From Cayucos, there is a bike trail that will take you to Morro Bay if you can find it. Markings are not great. You can also ride the shoulder of Hwy 1 but it is not much fun due to the high speed traffic.

March should be a great time to do this. Should still be very green inland instead of brown and shouldn't be hot. Not sure about 2 days of riding though. You will be facing a lot more climbing than you would just riding down 1. May be ok for you but a good idea to look at the routes in detail and consider the elevation/grade. Have fun and be safe.

Iride01 

Possibly because the California Department responsible for issuing notices about roads only issued the closure to motor vehicles. Likely the road is open for bicycles with the expectation that they can go all the way to the washout and then turn around. Likely no one has told google maps that the road itself is no longer physically connected.

pdlamb

Sorta, kinda, maybe a bicyclist could hike-a-bike 100 yards or so and get by (after construction hours are over, of course!). You'd have to hope the mud upstream had dried out and wasn't sliding any more, or else the cyclist might end up 100 feet downslope and buried by mud.

The north side (on the left of the second picture) looks like CALTRANS might want to deposit a few multi-ton boulders down at the surf to prevent undercutting the road there...

vane171

It is more serious than I imagined. You'd need to take a bigger hike 'upstream' around it if the terrain permits. I myself wouldn't be crazy to try to cross the mud directly above the road. But you know sometimes how it is, people on foot or on bikes can make it through safely where cars cannot. Just because the road is closed doesn't always mean nobody can travel through.
Where I come from, we learned not to take authorities words as given. It is like the unbelieving biblical Thomas who needed to put his hand on Christ's wounds to believe, in the same way, it may be well worth to check what the situation really is...

Nice pics, thanks.

jon c. 

How far between access to the shoreline in either direction and would it be passable at low tide?

squirtdad

this is a no go: most of that coast line is not accessible. Steep cliffs, big waves, etc. Some die hard surfers will essentially rappel down to secret spots

squirtdad

No way this will work steep cliffs etc