SF Bay Area - Best driving roads for a Sunday morning blast?

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Have to agree with sgt1372 about Morgan territory, haven’t been down there in years (drove a much smaller/less powerful car then!) but went again this past weekend... definitely a bike (motor & pedal) option, would not recommend for cars. Probably worth leaving up for anyone who likes to pedal

That's very helpful.

Given the new data, and that this thread is fundamentally about taking our cars out for a spirited drive, I've moved it into the following category in the East Bay section.
...

• Roads to perhaps avoid...
  • Morgan Territory Rd - https://goo.gl/maps/2a8zYoiCaCz73yVU8 (~15 miles)
    • Connects to Marsh Creek Rd above, and goes through Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
    • Both RugbyBro and sgt1372 thinks it's simply too tight and narrow

Thanks!

Karl.

[Driver407]

"Hwy-70 up and over to Bucks Lake, back up and over to La Porte."
That place is AMAZING. I went up there last weekend with a buddy after reading this post.

That road is of dreams and we only did about 100 miles of the 300.
We saw maybe 4 cars the entire 100 miles. Corona quarantine left the roads desolate. Highly recommend.

[GokuSS4]

for bear creek in east bay, I connect with Alhambra valley road in Martinez. its bumpy and narrow but thats my thing. also agree with Morgan territory rd. maybe 5 years ago but now its a shit show

most importantly thank you so much for this list. literally about to go dive in rn

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by FireM3

for bear creek in east bay, I connect with Alhambra valley road in Martinez. its bumpy and narrow but thats my thing

Thanks. I've added your recommendation (and another) as follows.


East Bay
...

• Alhambra Valley Rd in Martinez - https://goo.gl/maps/aXRgUorUubde4z5g9 (~9 miles)
  • Recommended by FireM3
  • He notes it can be bumpy and narrow, but he likes it
  • It connects to Bear Creek above

Points further away from the SF Bay Area

• North
  ...
  • Pleasant Valley Rd and Marysville Rd, east of Yuba City - https://goo.gl/maps/EUbtphE8JYBMY8HL7 (~69 miles)
    • Recommended by Jartin
    • West end of this route is ~80 miles north-east of Santa Rosa (as the crow flies)

Thanks.

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Added...

North Bay
...

• Lake Sonoma to the coast using Skaggs Springs Rd. - https://goo.gl/maps/TigZHm2J7wR4oZa5A (~35 miles)
  • Recommended by propchef
  • ///M3-=FiN=- also recommended a section of this road (and he included some video) - https://goo.gl/maps/eS4rLk9T3ZD2 (~6 miles)
• Loop from Cloverdale to Calistoga, west to Jenner via Guerneville, north to Stewarts Point, and back to Cloverdale - https://goo.gl/maps/X8QvAfXWgJyi9sUp8 (~148 miles)
  • Recommended by sgt1372

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Added...

East Bay

• sgt1372 recommends a variety of options heading east out of Antioch...
  • First take Antioch to Isleton, then to the Georgiana Slough Bridge in Walnut Grove - https://goo.gl/maps/YD68tKRUudKfFJ7e9 (~29 miles), with stop-offs at:
    • Mei Was Beer Room in Isleton - https://meiwahbeerroom.com
    • Walnut Grove Iron Works - http://wgironworks.com
  • Then take one of these options...
    1. Turn left and take River Rd., then Freeport Blvd. into Sacramento - https://goo.gl/maps/4Jn5i7VkvuWhWEPq6 (~30 miles), with stop-offs at:
       • Al the Wop's - http://www.locketown.com/als.htm
       • California Automobile Museum - https://www.calautomuseum.org
    2. Or turn right, and head to one of these...
       • Lockeford Meat & Sausage Services in Lockeford - https://goo.gl/maps/wvuhf6Y59v8pWahz8 (~24 miles)
       • Wines & Roses Hotel in Lodi - https://goo.gl/maps/5ee5goqvyopdj6tj7 (~17 miles)
       • Or route back to Antioch via Stockton and Discovery Bay - https://goo.gl/maps/sL8SMnficKencQLM8 (~65 miles)
         • With a stop off at Boardwalk Grill - https://www.boardwalkgrill.net
  ...
• Through Livermore / San Ramon Valley - https://goo.gl/maps/xrNMybJJ3f45RdkK6 (~19 miles)
  • Recommended by sgt1372

Karl.

[RugbyBro]

Resurrecting this thread



Did this East Bay drive today, it’s a combination of some of the aforementioned routes. Great scenery, good variety of low and high speed sections, relatively well paved (although there are some bumpy sections as most Bay Area B-roads have.) Make sure to get out before the cyclists are out in force - having said that I did this at 5pm on a Sat afternoon and encountered next to no cyclists. Also, if you are chasing big speed numbers, there are some vast open stretches and high speed corners in which you can do that but please be careful as cyclists, casual drivers, and sightseers do drive this route. I’m not endorsing big speeds here, just being realistic when some people see what’s available and just giving some pre-emptive caution.

https://goo.gl/maps/ieT6FKw56L3uwqEx7

EDIT: had to re-pin the route as one section kept changing (reliez valley road to bear creek)

[wjk_glynn]

It's a year now since the last addition was made to the list of Bay Area roads.

There is of course a finite set, but bumping to the top in case anyone has some new recommendations.

Thanks.

Karl.

[RRedline]

I have been doing this loop fairly regularly on either Sat/Sun early morning:

• From Saratoga, Hwy 9 to Skyline
• Skyline north to Alice's
• 84 West to Hwy 1
• Hwy 1 south to Western Drive just as you're about to enter Santa Cruz
• Western Drive to Empire Grade
• Empire Grade to Felton Empire Road
• Felton Empire to Hwy 9
• Hwy 9 all the way back to Saratoga

Try to head out by 730-8am to avoid bicyclists and hiking traffic. Plenty of nice smooth road to hustle or sightsee, whatever your preference. Some days I take the same loop in reverse.

[therealkenc]

Originally Posted by RRedline

I have been doing this loop fairly regularly on either Sat/Sun early morning:

• From Saratoga, Hwy 9 to Skyline
• Skyline north to Alice's
• 84 West to Hwy 1
• Hwy 1 south to Western Drive just as you're about to enter Santa Cruz
• Western Drive to Empire Grade
• Empire Grade to Felton Empire Road
• Felton Empire to Hwy 9
• Hwy 9 all the way back to Saratoga

Try to head out by 730-8am to avoid bicyclists and hiking traffic. Plenty of nice smooth road to hustle or sightsee, whatever your preference. Some days I take the same loop in reverse.

Looks like a loop worth trying out. I love the La Honda (84 to 1) leg, always brings a silly grin to my face, if there aren't any cars right ahead of me

[wjk_glynn]

Added...

South Bay / Santa Clara County
...

• South on Watsonville Rd. out of Morgan Hill, then east on CA-129 (with Carlton Rd. as a connector between the two) - https://goo.gl/maps/y9nUHzuyAua7DCUc9 (~28 miles)
  • Recommended by vasmir

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Added...

East Bay
...

• Niles Canyon Rd between Fremont and Sunol - https://goo.gl/maps/dsULGvAFQXqp4Srr5 (~7 miles)
  • Recommended by smceo

Karl.

[JAI///M3]

Thanks for sharing this!

[wjk_glynn]

Added the following...

Sierra Nevada Mountains (and foothills)
...

• Various parts of the CA-49 Golden Chain Highway
  • Sierraville to Nevada City - https://goo.gl/maps/1aQTYgJLo9xJJ8sD8 (~77 miles)
    • Recommended by Sprintrider
• Sonora Pass (Hwy-108), from Hwy-395 to Sonora - https://goo.gl/maps/C2h3M1T6acBHBecJ6 (~81 miles)
  • Recommended by Sprintrider
• CA-89, including Monitor Pass - https://goo.gl/maps/Aa2CXF57uGPiH3ER6 (~29 miles)
  • Recommended by ylk1 and Sprintrider

South
...

• Hwy-39 from Azusa to the San Gabriel Canyon Road Lookout - https://goo.gl/maps/Hp9HFMG9tLPwuX1e9 (~23 miles)
  • Car and Driver drove this road when reviewing a GT4 RS: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...y-the-numbers/
  • Azusa is on the northern edge of the LA Metropolitan area

Karl.

[petar7408]

Very much appreciated! I have done most of these and they are amazing. Up in the Sacramento area, not as much to drive sadly.

[wjk_glynn]

Added...

North Bay
...

• To the above (LVR), add the loop of Nicasio Valley Rd / Pt. Reyes Petaluma Rd / Hicks Valley Rd / Willson Hill Rd / Chileno Valley Rd / Tomales Petaluma Rd / Hwy-1 / Sir Francis Drake Blvd... and back to Nicasio Valley Rd - https://goo.gl/maps/gQCdz86pbJkRYJ1t8 (~61 miles)
  • Recommended by Kbasa

Points further away from the SF Bay Area

North

• Final race from the 2014 movie Need for Speed - https://goo.gl/maps/9hnTh1N5gJEux9se6 (~72 miles)
  • Originally recommended by phuonger
  • ducktails drove it in August 2022, and confirmed it's a good one

And as always, if you've any recommendations of your own that should be added to this list, please post in this thread with sufficient detail so that people know the exact route (e.g. providing a Google Maps link works great).

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Rory Reid (ex Top Gear, now with AutoTrader UK) reviews a C8 Corvette in the following video:

• The canyon-carving bits seem to have been shot on the San Jose side of the road up Mt Hamilton - https://goo.gl/maps/5SZtntEdyYy
• I believe you can see some of the Lick Observatory domes in the distance at the 6:55 mark
• And away from there, you can also see local spots like Reeds Indoor Range in Santa Clara (2:25), and an In-N-Out in Seaside (4:20)

But can anyone spot anything that says it was shot on the other side of Mt. Hamilton?

I don't know that side as well as the San Jose side...

Thanks.

Karl.

PS: At the 10:27 mark, he says the C8 has a 7-speed PDK... it's actually an 8-speed Tremec…

[yami sukehiro]

Skyline is great, but even one or two cars in front car ruin the experience. I recently took a wrong turn from Alice's restaurant and ended up on an inside road called 'page mill road' randomly and it was actually a blast driving on it with a friend

[jonf49]

This is a great post! Thanks so much.

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by wjk_glynn

But can anyone spot anything that says it was shot on the other side of Mt. Hamilton?

I don't know that side as well as the San Jose side..

Haven't heard otherwise, so have added it to the top post as follows...

South Bay / Santa Clara County

• Mt Hamilton Rd to Lick Observatory (starting at Clayton Rd.) - https://goo.gl/maps/5SZtntEdyYy (~16 miles)
  • Great hill climb up to the telescopes at Lick Observatory, and has even been referenced in professional articles/features:
    • EVO Magazine drove this road when reviewing the Mustang (S550) GT350 in the May 2016 issue #221 (front cover) - Henry Catchpole spoke very highly of the road
    • Total911 listed in their Great Road series - https://www.total911.com/route-130-california-usa/
    • When Rory Reid (AutoTrader UK) reviewed a C8 Corvette, the canyon-carving bits seemed to have been shot on this road - YouTube
  • Others think the back-side of Mines Rd. to Lick Observatory (from Livermore) is even better
    • See East Bay section above...

UPDATE: Found the spot where he does the external walk-around. That starts at the 5m10s mark in the video.

The location is here: https://goo.gl/maps/AEBhHNsn5vNduJWQ8

And a pic at the same spot from this morning...





Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Ollie Kew from Top Gear has been reviewing some cars here in the Bay Area.

In the following, you'll see scenes at Alice's Restaurant, Sempervirens Point, La Honda, Laguna Seca, etc.

Karl.