# Sonoma Coast Info?



## Stogaguy (Feb 11, 2006)

I am looking for information on the following loop on the Sonoma Coast:

Start at Portuguese Beach on Hwy 1
South on Hwy 1 to Coleman Valley Road
Coleman Valley Road to Willow Creek Road
Willow Creek Road to Hwy 1
Hwy 1 south to Portuguese Beach

This looks to be about a 25 mile loop with some really good climbing and descending through rugged terrain. My specific questions as follows:

Is Willow Creek Road paved? If not, is the dirt rideable on a cross bike with road tires?
Any thoughts/input from folks who have ridden this?


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## norton55 (Jan 10, 2006)

willow creek is paved ( i use that term lightly ) for about a mile. at the gate it becomes dirt/gravel for a few miles. at the gate at the bottom it becomes paved ( see above ) again to highway 1. good for a cross bike.


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## Stogaguy (Feb 11, 2006)

*Thanks / Follow-up question*

norton55, thanks a bunch. A follow-up question if I may, please. By "gate" do you mean:
1. cattle guard
2. gate, as in entering private property (if yes, do the owners mind?)
3. gate, as in closed seasonally?
Thank you in advance.

BTW, I found great elevation profiles on the Santa Rosa Cycling Club website at
http://www.srcc.com/cgi_bin/profiles.pl
Both Coleman Valley and Willow Creek are profiled.


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## norton55 (Jan 10, 2006)

hey stogaguy, willow creek road is closed to traffic due to the new park aquisition. there are 2 gates, one a the top and one at the bottom. they have openings for bikes and hikers. its a good ride for cross bikes! the weather this weekend will be perfect for the coast. btw if you ride mtb i can show you some killer rides in the park, since no one on mtbr wants to check them out.


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## Stogaguy (Feb 11, 2006)

*Thanks again*

norton55, thanks again for the reply. 

With automobile traffic restricted, the dirt section of Willow Creek sounds like it is in good shape. The last time I rode this road was over 30 years ago, did it on a road bike with sewup tires. A lot can change in three decades so I wanted to get the current 411.

I agree that this weekend will be perfect weather for this ride. Unfortunately, work and family obligations prevent me from doing it.

Thank you for your offer but I am not a mountain biker. However, if you want to meet-up and do this loop at some point in the future, I would be more than pleased. I caution you that I am not at all fast. I just got back on the bike after over ten years away from the sport. I figure that it will take me about 2.5 - 3 hours to do this loop.

Thanks again


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## X513 (Mar 20, 2006)

*Willow Creek*

Is actually closed unless you have a permit for access from Friends of Willow Creek/Landpaths, but plenty people poach it I'd guess. Some steep stuff. Some great tight single track also if you know where you are going - you can get lost out there pretty easy. Three gates actually, Willow Creek upper entrance (off of Coleman Valley), Willow Creek lower entrace (I think they call this Pomo Beach or something like that) and Freeze Out Flats entrance (by Duncan Mills). An Interesting loop on a cross bike. If you want to add some miles head to Freeze out Flats to Duncan Mills and then take Hwy. 116 out to Hwy. 1.


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## norton55 (Jan 10, 2006)

1- have permit
2- on trail commitee
3- wife involved with aquisition
4- built trails when lp owned it
5- been riding it since "ring of fire" days


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