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

[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.

[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…

[1mang]

Actually this looks like near Joseph D. Grant Park as you can see the fencing that goes along side of the road. Also dead grass area. I don't think he went past Lick Observatroy.

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by 1mang

Actually this looks like near Joseph D. Grant Park as you can see the fencing that goes along side of the road. Also dead grass area. I don't think he went past Lick Observatroy.

Thanks for the feedback.

I think I'll take a run up there this weekend.

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by 1mang

Actually this looks like near Joseph D. Grant Park as you can see the fencing that goes along side of the road. Also dead grass area. I don't think he went past Lick Observatroy.

Yup, I agree. So I've 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...

Karl.

[wjk_glynn]

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]

Duplicate post...