# Coast Ride Route from San Gregorio



## Slave2Gravity (Jul 13, 2007)

I'm hoping someone can throw out a couple good coastal route ideas. I've done coastal rides through some really cool areas just north of 84, but was always following others and never paid attention to road names. A friend and I are planning to ride Old La Honda to Skyline and drop down the backside of 84. After that my directional abilities are seriously lagging. Any suggestions?


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## Fr Ted Crilly (Feb 7, 2002)

Slave2Gravity said:


> I'm hoping someone can throw out a couple good coastal route ideas. I've done coastal rides through some really cool areas just north of 84, but was always following others and never paid attention to road names. A friend and I are planning to ride Old La Honda to Skyline and drop down the backside of 84. After that my directional abilities are seriously lagging. Any suggestions?


It sounds like you were possibly doing the coastal classic route. San Gregorio Store is at the intersection of 84 and Stage Rd. From there going north on Stage Rd will take you up a short climb before intersecting with Hwy 1. Turn right on Hwy 1 (north) and speed down the hill for approx. 1 mile before turning right onto Tunitas Creek which (slowly at first and then steeper later) climbs up to Skyline. Going straight across Skyline you'll be heading down King's Mountain Rd going into Woodside. 

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Tunitas-Creek-Loop-from-Los-Alto

Going south from San Gregorio Store on Stage Rd (the most scenic of all peninsula roads for biking in my humble opinion) brings you to the village of Pescadero. Turning left after the village onto Pescadero Creek Rd, go over Haskin's Hill until you come to the intersection with Alpine Rd. Turning right on Alpine Rd will also bring you up to Skyline which you can cross and descend Page Mill Rd to go back to the civilisation that is Los Altos and Palo Alto.
Whatever way you go you'll be enjoying some beautiful riding.


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## singlespeed.org (Feb 14, 2006)

Alternate to what Ted said would be hitting Pescadero before San Gregorio. 

Just past the town of La Honda, make a left on to Alpine Road. Take this to where Alpine goes left and Pescadero Road goes right - take Pescadero and start the climb up and over Haskins Hill. Follow this to the town of Pescadero. Make a right on Stage and follow this to 84. Cross 84 on Stage and follow the instructions above to Tunitas and bake home. My firends call this option the "Milk Run" (not sure why).

There are a couple of bakeries/groceries in Pescadero which are great stops for food.

Depending on where you start, this loop would be about 60 miles. About 50 if you skip Pescadero.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

There's a nice loop I like to do from Pescadero. Continue on Pescadero Creek Rd out to the coast (Buy lunch in Pescadero and eat it at ther beach. There's a good taqueria in the gas station at Pescadero.) Make a left at the coast highway and ride along the coast - very scenic. Make a left at Gazos Creek Rd and ride along a pretty creek to Cloverdale Road. Turn left and take Cloverdale back to Pescadero, or turn right at Butano Cutoff to Pescadero Creek Road if you're heading back toward La Honda. The loops probably 12 or 13 miles.

As the others noted, Stage Road between San Gregorio and Pescadero is a must.


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

singlespeed.org said:


> Alternate to what Ted said would be hitting Pescadero before San Gregorio.
> 
> Just past the town of La Honda, make a left on to Alpine Road. Take this to where Alpine goes left and Pescadero Road goes right - take Pescadero and start the climb up and over Haskins Hill. Follow this to the town of Pescadero. Make a right on Stage and follow this to 84. Cross 84 on Stage and follow the instructions above to Tunitas and bake home. My firends call this option the "Milk Run" (not sure why).


This is an excellent route, and it avoids the boring part of Hwy 84 between La Honda and San Gregorio.

If the coast is very foggy, an alternative is to turn left from Pescadero on to Alpine Road and go back over the hill that way. Alpine connects to Page Mill Road at Skyline and heads back to Silicon Valley. This is a somewhat shorter loop; maybe 35 miles total if you start near Page Mill & I-280.


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## MikeG (Jan 28, 2004)

Fr Ted Crilly said:


> It sounds like you were possibly doing the coastal classic route. San Gregorio Store is at the intersection of 84 and Stage Rd. From there going north on Stage Rd will take you up a short climb before intersecting with Hwy 1. Turn right on Hwy 1 (north) and speed down the hill for approx. 1 mile before turning right onto Tunitas Creek which (slowly at first and then steeper later) climbs up to Skyline. Going straight across Skyline you'll be heading down King's Mountain Rd going into Woodside.


I rode this route solo last week from Belmont to Canada road, up and over OLH. It was my first time out on 84 ... thought it would never end. The Tunitas Creek climb was a crusher, but oh so nice. Felt like a century ride, but was probably closer to 60 miles. Gonna try the Pescadero route in a couple weeks. My goal is to make this my weekly Sunday ride.


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## scottyperkins (Jun 18, 2007)

Nothing new from me, just supporting the Stage Road comment. Here is a terrific route if you're in for something relatively short (~30 miles). 

Here is another, which you can reverse and take down Highway 1 instead of Stage.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*I did some Googling...*

Here's a ride description with pics from Chain Reaction's web site:

https://images.google.com/imgres?im...ge+road+machine+gun&gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en&sa=G

And check out the sculptures on Stage Road about a mile or two from Pescadero.


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

Stage Rd and Tunitas are great road for cycling. My favorite loop on the peninsula includes both of them.

Start at Stanford Univ.
Go up Page Mill Road to Skyline (more fun than Old La Honda)
Down Alpine Road on the other side
Left on Pescadero Road (water at Sam McDonald Park)
Right on Stage Road (food in town of Pescadero and also at store in San Gregorio)
Right on Hwy 1 (briefly)
Right on Tunitas up to Skyline
Down Kings Mountain Road
Left on Woodside Rd (food and water in town of Woodside)
Right on Alameda back to Stanford

Total distance is about 60 miles


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Speaking of Pescadero Road...*

What happened to the flamingos?


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## Slave2Gravity (Jul 13, 2007)

I was wondering about that! I thought maybe I had the wrong roads but remembered my brother pointing this place out a couple years ago before I moved here. Thanks everyone for the route advice. We ended up doing a partial Portola Loop to OLH, climbed that, dropped down 84 to Pescadero, Stage Rd, Tunitas Creek and Kings Mountain back home. It was a great ride, the perfect weekend distance! 

It's too bad, I had posted a comment in another thread about never having trouble with ******** in the Bay Area before. Saturday I had a run-in with them on 2 separate occasions. I guess there's some no matter where you go. Oh well...


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

robwh9 said:


> What happened to the flamingos?


Must have changed owners (or tenants) recently. Last time I passed by, there were only a handful of flamingos in the yard.


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## singlespeed.org (Feb 14, 2006)

robwh9 said:


> What happened to the flamingos?


Probably flew south for the winter. They are really a warm weather species, and that foggy/shady spot by the creek just wasn't right for them...

Or maybe their metal legs rusted away...


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