• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Coastal road south of Carmel

bdfbeemer

RT in NC
I am planing a ride from San Francisco down the coast then cutting over and going through Yosemite just after Labor Day. How far is the road open past Carmel and what is the best way to cut over to Yosemite?

thanks
 
I am planing a ride from San Francisco down the coast then cutting over and going through Yosemite just after Labor Day. How far is the road open past Carmel and what is the best way to cut over to Yosemite?

thanks

Before giving you recommendations on getting to Yosemite from wherever you wish to get to south of SF, let me know more about your plans, how you're getting here, if you're towing, renting, riding all the way, et. I ask because Yosemite is essentially due east of SF, and if you ride south on SR 1, the coast highway, you're arguably missing some spectacular ways to get to Yosemite on a motorcycle if you went NORTH out of SF and then cut east out of Fortuna/Ferdale/Eureka/Arcata. The coast route north out of SF is fabulous as well but as w/ the coast that time of year you can get some dense fog in the mornings. SR 1 between SF and San Luis Obispo is spectacular, but has some closures now as you can see below. From SLO to Yosemite involves some nice roads and some boring ones and is nothing like what you get if you go north and then east out of SF.

Use this site to check for road conditions in CA--it is updated frequently: http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

State Route 1 is the coast highway, and here are the comments from the above site in the central CA area which is the only area affected for your planned trip if you stick w/ south out of SF:

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM 4.6 MI NORTH OF RAGGED POINT TO 10.3 MI NORTH OF RAGGED POINT /AT MUD CREEK/ (MONTEREY CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 9/30/18 - DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 1.5 MI SOUTH OF LUCIA (MONTEREY CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 2359 HRS ON 9/30/18 - DUE TO MAINTENANCE

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM 3 MI NORTH OF TAMALPAIS-HOMESTEAD VALLEY /AT SEASCAPE DR/ TO 3.6 MI NORTH OF TAMALPAIS-HOMESTEAD VALLEY /AT MUIR BEACH OVERLOOK/ (MARIN CO) 24 HRS A DAY THRU 2359 HRS ON MONDAY 6/4/18 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM 0.6 MI NORTH OF MUIR BEACH TO 1 MI NORTH OF MUIR BEACH /AT SLIDE RANCH/ (MARIN CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 2359 HRS ON 5/31/18 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FROM 0.2 MI SOUTH OF THE MARIN/SONOMA CO LINE TO 0.2 MI NORTH OF THE MARIN/SONOMA CO LINE 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 1700 HRS ON 10/4/18 - DUE TO MAINTENANCE​
 
Off 280 west side of San Francisco take skyline Blvd 35 to Alice’s Restaurant ( good lunch stop)
Right turn on la Honda (84) over to 1 south, moss landing cut over to 101south, at Paso Robles, east on 46 to 41, continue on 41 till your at the park
Break up the trip by spending a night in Paso Robles lots of hotels and good restaurants, plus wineries!!
 
Forgot to add
Highway 46/41 intersection is the James Dean memorial it was here in 1955 James died in a traffic accident
 
Labor Day is September 3, the work on Hwy1 is scheduled to be completed by September 30. KEYWORD is SCHEDULED. I'd be surprised if it is actually done by then.

If it isn't the furthest you will get is Plaskett, maybe Gorda, but then you'll have to turn around and ride back to Carmel to go east; that's a 60 mile ride, one way.

The major slide is between Gorda and Ragged Point. The Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd cross over, that everyone likes to ride, is south of Ragged Point.

Hwy 1.jpg

The ride east is easiest on 68 to Salinas, but not much fun. An alternate route east is the Carmel Valley Rd all the way to Greenfield. 35 miles of twisty as hell old single lane asphalt, but not really that much fun given stretches of dilapidated pavement and farm traffic.
 
I am planing a ride from San Francisco down the coast then cutting over and going through Yosemite just after Labor Day. How far is the road open past Carmel and what is the best way to cut over to Yosemite?

thanks

To answer your question, the road is closed for all of 2018 at Mud Creek which is about 70 miles south of Carmel. There are other signal-controlled single lane areas between Carmel and Mud Creek. The only way to "cut over" is to take USFR22S01 which is north of Mud Creek. I'm not sure I'd recommend it, though. Its paved single track and slow going. If you want a slightly more direct route, you could take Carmel Valley Road southeast out of Carmel, hook onto Hwy 101 for a short way to San Lucas then onto 198 east to Coalinga then north on 41 through Fresno and into Yosemite. Hope this helps.
 
Here's a ride that I did recently, you'll be on roads typically not found in the tourist books.... and some back-country (all paved) riding... so bring water and some food.

From Carmel, you take Carmel Valley Road over to the valley.... boring ride through the valley... to Madera. Not far out of town is Road 400... aka River Road... aka The Yosemite Stage Route... that goes up through some fantastic country and enters Yosemite via the back way.

<iframe src='https://rwgps-embeds.com/embeds?type=route&id=26913907&sampleGraph=true' style='width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;' scrolling='no'></iframe>

20160828_124421-X2.jpg


20160828_143409-X2.jpg


20160828_144212-X2.jpg
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am shipping to San Jose and riding home. First night I am staying near the golden gate bridge. I have always wanted to ride the pacific coast highway.
 
To answer your question, the road is closed for all of 2018 at Mud Creek which is about 70 miles south of Carmel. There are other signal-controlled single lane areas between Carmel and Mud Creek. The only way to "cut over" is to take USFR22S01 which is north of Mud Creek. I'm not sure I'd recommend it, though. Its paved single track and slow going. If you want a slightly more direct route, you could take Carmel Valley Road southeast out of Carmel, hook onto Hwy 101 for a short way to San Lucas then onto 198 east to Coalinga then north on 41 through Fresno and into Yosemite. Hope this helps.

What about the Fergusson-Nacimiento Rd. as a "cut over"? Can't you ride south on CA1 almost to Plaskett and then cut over?
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am shipping to San Jose and riding home. First night I am staying near the golden gate bridge. I have always wanted to ride the pacific coast highway.

I've been on routes to Yosemite from north and south of SF, and if I were shipping to SJ and riding home I'd think about taking the route NORTH out of SF and take in some of the best roads California has to offer if you're after wonderful curves, low traffic, lovely scenery, changing elevations. Here's the route I'd take which in a nutshell takes you a full day up the coast to Fortuna, then over one of the most fantastic roads the state has to offer to 2 wheelers: SR 36 from Fortuna all the way to Chester thru the valley town of Red Bluff. Sept will potentially have very high temps and w/ this route you're out of the flat lands for almost the entire route, whereas going south out of SF you've got plenty of valley hours once you're away from the coast. The ride from Chester down 89 is fabulous and you meet up to the lovely 49er highway to Mariposa which takes you thru gold rush towns in the Sierra and promises an incredible array of curvy mountain roads. Traffic picks up depending on day and time once you're on the 49er highway south of Grass V, but once back out away from bigger towns gets ultra pleasant again all the way to Mariposa--the last 30 miles as you get into Mariposa is spectacular for bikes. From Mariposa it's up and over Tioga Pass, or thru other parts of Yosemite.

Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 9.21.37 AM.jpg
 
The Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd cross over, that everyone likes to ride, is south of Ragged Point.

I have provided incorrect information...

The Naci-Ferguson Rd IS available to cut over to 101. The western end is about 4.5 miles south of Lucia
Naci-Ferg Rd.jpg

You'll ride right by it if you're not aware of where it is.
Naci west end.jpg

Naci-Ferg (from Hwy 101 east toward coast)
 
Kali.

It's about the same depending on the time of day. Sometimes very busy, and sometime almost empty. I'd suggest missing rush hour on weekdays.:banghead
 
Generally, Is the traffic worse or better going north up the coast from SF or south toward Gorda?

That north route ncpbmw1953 showed above will have less traffic than anything south after you get 50 miles out of SF. In the last 40 years, before moving 450 miles south to be near the kids and grand kids a couple years ago, I had ridden all of that route, not all at the same time though, and once clear of the SF metropolis area you will be fine. Yes a little more traffic on the coast on weekends but all in all better than south. That route also has good camping and/or lodging most all of the way. Not 3 star but decent enough and safe, again, once out of the urban areas.

GD
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am shipping to San Jose and riding home. First night I am staying near the golden gate bridge. I have always wanted to ride the pacific coast highway.
There is no wrong way, are you starting in San Jose and going to San Francisco first ? Definitely go to Santa Cruz and up the coast from there or the 9 or Skyline blvd. Its about 60 miles to SF, stop in Davenport and get lunch. From SF cross the Golden Gate bridge and get off the 101 in Mill Valley, go thru Muir Woods,Stinson Beach, Bolinas etc. My recollection is that there are tons of west to east options untill halfway thru Sonoma county after that there are still roads just not as frequent. Somehow you should try to find your way to the 49, Maybe Auburn. From there take your pick of ways into the park. If you are going all the way to North Carolina no harm in heading south to Seqouia,try to find your way to Elwood Road south of North Fork,It will take you to the 180 that will take you up into Kings Canyon/Seqouia, just as amazing as Yosemite half the crowds maybe 1/4 of the crowds. I could go on forever but thats a good start. I did the opposite about 5 years ago, started in Charlotte and rode home to Socal,did the Blueridge,the Dragon,Ozarks,Rockies etc. Somehow made a 2400 mile trip 3100 miles but it was amazing.
 
I plotted a trip gong north out of SF over and down past Lake Tahoe, to Yosemite, across Nevada to Yellowstone through the Black Hills and meandering home. Around 4300 miles. Kind of up down and around but taking in some magnificent country. Might change as time nears.
 
Hwy 1 ( aka, Pacific Coast Highway ) is always a crap shoot; coastal fog, slow moving RV traffic, looky-lews, motorcyclists playing ricky-racer, many construction sites along the way, few stretches to pass, etc.
Regardless, you're not going to be able to make the whole run from Carmel all the way to Morro Bay for some time.
 
Right now, travelling south of Carmel, a Tartan 36 would be my preferred means of travel.

Friedle
 
Back
Top