# Big Basin Loop



## thepistons (Apr 19, 2005)

An ever dwindling group of us want to do the Big Basin loop. 
Woodside-Portola-Arastradero-PageMill-35-9-236-BigBasin Park-9-35-84-Woodside.
We have most of it but not the Big Basin loop part.
I just wanted to get folks opinions on the loop. Is it a nice ride? Road conditions good, traffic etc?
We always wanted to do it but we have some logistics to deal with. 
We may start down at Foothill-Mclellan. What is that like?

Thanks
Ian


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

Foothill is a long way from Woodside. How about just taking Foothill to Page Mill to Skyline? Or even shorter is to take Redwood Gulch and Hwy 9 up to Skyline.

Big Basin in on route 236. 236 is a 1.5 lane road with a generally rough surface and rolling hills. It is very scenic with ocean views at the top and a redwood forest within the park. The road gets very little traffic on weekdays, but a lot of tourist traffic (for the park) on summer weekends. If you have the time, lock your bikes when you get to the park and take the quarter mile nature walk near the headquarters. Many of the park's old growth giant redwood trees are along that trail. Also check out the tree rings on the log on display near the parking lot. Each ring indicates one year of growth for the tree. If I recall correctly, they have one of the rings marked "Jesus Christ born in this year". Yes, the "old growth" trees are really old.

Hwy 9 also gets a lot of weekend traffic, but that road is wider so it isn't as annoying.


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## Woofer (Nov 18, 2004)

thepistons said:


> An ever dwindling group of us want to do the Big Basin loop.
> Woodside-Portola-Arastradero-PageMill-35-9-236-BigBasin Park-9-35-84-Woodside.
> We have most of it but not the Big Basin loop part.
> I just wanted to get folks opinions on the loop. Is it a nice ride? Road conditions good, traffic etc?
> ...


I like this ride a lot. The climb on 9 is not super steep either way IMHO but very long. Road conditions are generally pretty good. Wet on 9 on the shaded side of the mountain in spots in the morning so take the downhill corners with some care. I like starting from Los Altos to Foothill to Mt Eden to Pierce to 9 all the way to 236 because I do Page Mill a lot during the week. Foothill McClellan would be fine. Traffic is intermittent if you leave early enough, and never as bad as 84. Not much of a shoulder on the way up from this side. Prepare for multiple temperature conditions.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

thepistons said:


> An ever dwindling group of us want to do the Big Basin loop.
> Woodside-Portola-Arastradero-PageMill-35-9-236-BigBasin Park-9-35-84-Woodside.
> We have most of it but not the Big Basin loop part.
> I just wanted to get folks opinions on the loop. Is it a nice ride? Road conditions good, traffic etc?
> ...


I've ridden all these roads countless times. That's a good ride. You'll definitely feel it when you are done.

It's not obvious how you are doing Big Basin, but I would recommend riding all the way down 9 into Boulder Creek, then turning right on 236 and climbing up into the park. I prefer to do it that way. I would also highly recommend you detour off 236 and take Lodge Road. It's a little known road, but it's also little traveled, and it's very cool.

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/LodgeRd.htm

The "backside" of hwy 9 will be the worst part of your ride.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Just rode to BB from Sunnyvale last weekend...*

Fremont - Foothill - Stevens Canyon - Redwood Gulch - 9 - 236, and back. Sometimes I'll continue on to Boulder Creek and take Bear Creek Rd back to Skyline. There are some bumpy spots on 236 near 9 that you should watch out for on the downhill on your way back. The last mile or two before the headquarters is smooth and twisty - one of my favorite pieces of road. I'll have to try this Lodge Road that Mohair suggests the next time I ride there.


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