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      08-13-2017, 08:35 AM   #1
wjk_glynn
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SF Bay Area - Best driving roads for a Sunday morning blast?

Hi folks,

Following is a compilation of driving roads for an early Sunday morning blast (and a few to possibly avoid) in the SF Bay Area. Recommendations are from either:
.
  1. My personal experience
  2. Or from various members on either Rennlist, E9x M3 Post, F8x M3/M4 Post or 1addicts

To enjoy many of these roads, you often need to be out there at the crack-of-dawn so as to find them mostly empty. If you leave it to later in the day, you'll frequently be inundated with cyclists/traffic/etc. That's just a fact of life when living in the SF Bay Area...

As regards my personal preferences, I'm partial to roads with:
.
  • Minimal residential (don't want to attract attention)
  • Reasonably good road surface (most of our cars, and certainly mine, don't have long suspension travel)
  • High work rate (i.e. plenty of corners-per-mile to keep you busy)
  • Decent sightlines (not overly tight or too many blind corners, has space for oncoming traffic)
  • You can make and enjoy a decent pace without going crazy/dangerous/go-to-jail fast...

They're grouped by region as follows:
.
  • North Bay - Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano Counties
  • East Bay - Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
  • South Bay - Santa Clara County
  • Santa Cruz Mountains & County - Technically not the Bay Area, but close enough...
  • Peninsula - San Mateo and San Francisco Counties
  • Points further away - Beyond the SF Bay Area (North, Sierra Nevada Mountains, East and South)

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).

And for reference, the following was last updated as of: November 25th, 2022


North Bay

East Bay

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:
    • Others think the back-side of Mines Rd. to Lick Observatory (from Livermore) is even better
      • See East Bay section above...
  • Metcalf Rd. / San Felipe Rd. to Silvercreek - https://goo.gl/maps/yY8MZwY74sR2 (~9 miles)
    • Initially it's tight and bumpy as you climb up to the Motorcycle County Park
    • But it opens up once you get past that park, especially when you reach San Felipe Rd.
    • The only downside is that it's relatively short
    • There's a 2-mile detour down where San Felipe Rd. branches to Las Animas Rd., and then down to the old Pratt & Whitney (United Technologies) rocket-motor test site. That short detour dead-ends at: https://goo.gl/maps/jCA1oMcj8jK2
  • Drive around Almaden Quicksilver County Park - https://goo.gl/maps/mGvFPLT7g7H2 (~13 miles)
    • The north-west section of Hicks Rd. down to the junction at Almaden Quicksilver County Park & Mt. Umunhum Rd is more bumpy that I like, but the road surface improves as you go down around and back up around to New Almaden
    • Recommended by loliea
  • Almaden Rd. / Alamitos Rd. / Hicks Rd. / Mt. Umunhum Rd. up to Mt. Umunhum - https://goo.gl/maps/zmhgLrDQ8gq (~11 miles)
  • Various roads leading to/from Uvas Reservoir - https://goo.gl/maps/DKapg9P7a4w (~67 miles)
  • Bailey / McKean / Uvas / Watsonville Rd. to Hwy-152 - https://goo.gl/maps/EfJSBsi9ksL2 (~17 miles)
    • Starts near the IBM Research Lab in Almaden, and continues down to the Hecker Pass Hwy (152)
    • Road surface is more bumpy than expected (though not terrible), and the work rate (i.e. number of corners) is low
    • Upside is that once you get down to Hwy-152, you're near the start of the quite excellent Hecker Pass in Santa Cruz County
    • So it's a decent, but not great back road...
  • 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)
  • Roads to perhaps avoid...
    • Sierra Rd. to Old Calaveras Rd. - https://goo.gl/maps/4yyMpgfxKWs (~12 miles)
      • Crazy tight (some parts single lane) and quite bumpy in places
      • Can't recommend this...

Santa Cruz Mountains & County
  • Hwy-9 from Saratoga to Boulder Creek (begins as you cross Sanborn Creek) - https://goo.gl/maps/vSH183Lrfxq (~18 miles)
    • Beautiful sweeping run down through the Redwoods, doesn't get much better than this
    • Matt Farah reviewed an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as part of his signature 'One Take' series on this road - YouTube
  • Hwy-236 / Big Basin / Boulder Creek - https://goo.gl/maps/N68nmyEFcnN2 (~17 miles)
    • Northern-half runs though Big Basin Redwoods State Park
      • It's very beautiful/scenic
      • And has a great road surface after being recently resurfaced
      • However, that northern-half is very narrow
        • It's effectively single lane on many stretches
        • Thus there's no room for (and you're often blind to) oncoming traffic
        • You need to keep your pace way down for reasons of basic safety
      • But for a slow paced drive, this section is very pretty
    • Southern-half below the park opens up and is similar to Hwy-9 (also close by)
      • You can more easily stretch your legs in this section...
    • Recommended by SLVRon
  • Bear Creek Rd. - https://goo.gl/maps/6sGMphDydcS2 (~13 miles)
    • From Hwy-17 to Boulder Creek
    • Reasonably okay route
    • But I find it overly tight and bumpy in places to really enjoy
  • Empire Grade (Lockheed Martin to/from Santa Cruz) - https://goo.gl/maps/gq3metdHYks (~17 miles)
  • Bonny Doon Rd - https://goo.gl/maps/uzWYL5o2qBu (~7 miles)
  • Soquel San Jose Rd - https://goo.gl/maps/NAPo78oLx6B2 (~10 miles)
    • The road itself is quite nice (good surface, nice flowing corners in good few places)
    • Downside is that there's more residential along it than I like
  • Hecker Pass through Mt. Madonna County Park - https://goo.gl/maps/nmg3VuTR3Vo (~8 miles)
    • Short, but a very nice run
  • Felton Empire Rd - https://goo.gl/maps/fHcAcU1Wo4y (~3 miles)
    • Recommended by ylk1
  • Run up from Hwy-1 to Bonny Doon, over to Felton, up Hwy-9 to Saratoga - https://goo.gl/maps/7RMCUFudtYT2 (~41 miles)
    • Recommended by ylk1

Peninsula / San Mateo County

Points further away from the SF Bay Area

NorthSierra Nevada Mountains (and foothills)EastSouth
Karl.


PS: Other sites with similar information/recommendations...
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Last edited by wjk_glynn; 11-25-2022 at 04:53 PM..
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      08-13-2017, 09:47 PM   #2
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Nice! I think mt. Hamilton is the best for a sunday morning drive.
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      08-14-2017, 12:51 PM   #3
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Well Laguna Seca is a good start... lol

Alpine Road is an amazing hill climb type of road. Not super smooth but amazing views and switch backs. Might go for a drive today.
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      08-15-2017, 01:04 PM   #4
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Added Alpine Road to the top post...
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      08-24-2017, 05:44 PM   #5
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Uvas Road/Oak Glen Road/Willow Springs Rd (short but can connect to Metcalf and San Felipe...towards dead end)
Hwy 25 (Hollister to Coalinga...long but barely any cars/cops)
Point Reyes (long but secluded)
Hwy1 towards Stinson beach
Redwood road in Castro Valley
Lake Berryessa

I like to go when it rains...not too many people on the road
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      08-26-2017, 05:47 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1mang View Post
Uvas Road/Oak Glen Road/Willow Springs Rd (short but can connect to Metcalf and San Felipe...towards dead end)
Hwy 25 (Hollister to Coalinga...long but barely any cars/cops)
Point Reyes (long but secluded)
Hwy1 towards Stinson beach
Redwood road in Castro Valley
Lake Berryessa
Thanks 1mang. Have I got the routes correctly marked?

Note that the Point Reyes, Stinson Beach and Redwood Road areas have closed roads until October. Will have to wait until they reopen before Google Maps will let me create a directions-link (otherwise it tries to route you around).

Karl.
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      08-28-2017, 01:01 PM   #7
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See my edits below

Quote:
Originally Posted by wjk_glynn View Post
Thanks 1mang. Have I got the routes correctly marked?

Note that the Point Reyes, Stinson Beach and Redwood Road areas have closed roads until October. Will have to wait until they reopen before Google Maps will let me create a directions-link (otherwise it tries to route you around).

Karl.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...e67d0e!1m0!3e0
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      08-28-2017, 07:57 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1mang View Post
See my edits...
Thanks.

I'll work on updating the top post this weekend.

Karl.
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      09-02-2017, 12:49 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1mang View Post
See my edits below...
Hi 1mang,

Thanks for confirming the following:

But you've given two different links for roads around Uvas, down to Watsonville, etc.
  1. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...67d0e!1m0!3e0r
  2. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...e67d0e!1m0!3e0

Apologies but I'm not exactly sure what you're differentiating between them?

Thanks.

Karl.

PS: I'm planning to take run down Uvas to Watsonville tomorrow based on your recommendation...
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      09-03-2017, 06:22 PM   #10
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Added...

Karl.
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      09-05-2017, 12:30 PM   #11
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No one has listed kings mountain road? It is slightly residential in some parts. Biggest issue is the number of cyclists but on certain days it's very clear. It's an excellent road and very technical. Empire grade is also pretty good but it's hard to get out to for someone like me who is further up the peninsula.

I like kings mountain more than page mill or alpine. It's not obscenely long and when you get stuck behind someone on pagemill you're never gonna get past them. And you're on that road for a whiiiile.

Pescadero creek road is my favorite that I've found. You can go fast on that road legally and 15mph over is plenty of fun. (It's 55mph on what is normally 25-30 in other parts)

There is a part that is 25mph but that's only for 1-2 miles.
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      09-05-2017, 12:48 PM   #12
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This guy has a video of him running a nice road around the Golden Gate. It's somewhere on his channel. I'll just drop this as an intro...

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      09-05-2017, 01:23 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wjk_glynn View Post
Hi 1mang,

Thanks for confirming the following:

But you've given two different links for roads around Uvas, down to Watsonville, etc.
  1. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...67d0e!1m0!3e0r
  2. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...e67d0e!1m0!3e0

Apologies but I'm not exactly sure what you're differentiating between them?

Thanks.

Karl.

PS: I'm planning to take run down Uvas to Watsonville tomorrow based on your recommendation...
Sorry use the second one. Is it worth it? Let me work it. You can flip it and reverse it. (sorry I had Missy Elliott song stuck in my head).
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      09-05-2017, 01:25 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes View Post
This guy has a video of him running a nice road around the Golden Gate. It's somewhere on his channel. I'll just drop this as an intro...

This looks like Hwy9 up Saratoga
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      09-05-2017, 02:27 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1mang View Post
This looks like Hwy9 up Saratoga
Yeah, the SF vid is on his channel but as an outsider I think they all qualify as bay area.
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      09-05-2017, 04:22 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes View Post
This guy has a video of him running a nice road around the Golden Gate...
That is ridiculously dangerous/illegal driving.
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      09-09-2017, 02:39 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1mang View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by wjk_glynn View Post
...But you've given two different links for roads around Uvas, down to Watsonville, etc.
  1. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...67d0e!1m0!3e0r
  2. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9...e67d0e!1m0!3e0
...use the second one...
Done. And here's the shortened version of #2: https://goo.gl/maps/DKapg9P7a4w...
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      09-16-2017, 02:10 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TridenTBoy View Post
No one has listed kings mountain road? It is slightly residential in some parts... It's not obscenely long...
Is this the section ?

https://goo.gl/maps/FWTjvL1qCDs

Looks pretty, and road surface seems good (per Google Street View).

But it's only 3½ miles long, once you're past the Woodside residential area...

Thanks.

Karl.
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      09-16-2017, 10:43 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wjk_glynn View Post
Is this the section ?

https://goo.gl/maps/FWTjvL1qCDs

Looks pretty, and road surface seems good (per Google Street View).

But it's only 3½ miles long, once you're past the Woodside residential area...

Thanks.

Karl.
Yes. That's the section. It's a good 3.5 miles though and it's not much high speed. If you're able to get over 60mph on that road you're probably going too fast. You can easily hit 80mph on the straights if you're committed but it's just not a smart move. Going down it, my brakes will turn into smoke stacks. I think it's a good road to hit before going onto skyline or what not. You go through Woodside to kings mountain and then turn left onto skyline to head towards Alice's. It's a good 5-7 miles and then you can decide where to go.
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      09-17-2017, 07:02 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TridenTBoy View Post
Yes. That's the section.
Thanks. I added it to the top post...
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      09-24-2017, 08:42 PM   #21
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Drove this road today:

Based on this Rennlist member's recommentation:

Karl.
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      10-15-2017, 10:43 PM   #22
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