California

Northern California

Once you clear the heavy redwood canopy and hit the northern terminus of Highway 1 at Leggett, you are standing right at the gateway to some of the absolute best "blue highway" riding in the entire country.

If you want a mix of tight, roller-coaster twisties, pristine coastal solitude, and zero interstate traffic, there are a few world-class ways to point the front tire:

1. The "Deals Gap of the West" (Highway 1 South to Fort Bragg)

Instead of continuing along the main highway corridors, the moment you drop onto Highway 1 South from Leggett, you hit an unbelievable 22-mile stretch of pure, unadulterated twisties heading west toward the coast.

• The Vibe: Many riders compare this specific stretch directly to the Tail of the Dragon—it's incredibly tight, smoothly banked, and winds aggressively through the remaining coastal ridges until it suddenly bursts wide open right onto the rugged Pacific shoreline near Rockport.

• The Route: Follow it down the coast through Westport and into Fort Bragg. From there, you can grab a bite and choose to keep tracking the ocean south through Mendocino, or cut back inland on Highway 20 toward Willits for a sweeping forest loop.

2. The Unspoiled Pacific (Highway 1 North of San Francisco)

If you decide to trace the coast all the way down toward the Bay Area, the northern section of Highway 1 is a completely different animal than the crowded tourist traps of Big Sur.

• The Vibe: This is pure solitude. It’s a beautifully threadbare, winding two-lane blacktop that clings directly to craggy cliffs, rolling past old wooden fences, wind-sculpted pines, and open cattle ranges (keep an eye out for heifers on the highway!).

• Key Stops: Roll through Mendocino ("the Jewel of the North Coast"), cross the Navarro River, and snake your way through the quiet coastal hamlets of Point Arena and Gualala.

3. The Wild Route: Mattole Road & The Lost Coast

If you want to experience California's most rugged, untouched, and completely undeveloped shoreline before you head south, you have to look just north of the redwoods at Mattole Road.

• The Vibe: This 66-mile loop starts out of the historic Victorian town of Ferndale. It is a slow-paced, isolated adventure that climbs 2,000 feet in just four miles up Bear River Ridge, drops down to follow the actual ocean beach for a spectacular 10-mile stretch, and passes through tiny outposts like Petrolia and Honeydew.

• Rider's Note: The pavement here is old, bumpy, and patched—a true "goaty" backroad that demands a careful line but rewards you with absolute silence and jaw-dropping, empty coastal vistas that feel like a step back in time.

Exploring these two areas as distinct hubs reveals just how much the California landscape transforms the moment you step across the state line. Each offers a completely different flavor of the road, and both feature excellent public land campsites where your lifetime pass comes in handy.

HUB 1: The Ferndale / Eureka Area (The Lost Coast Basecamp)

Setting up a hub on the northern edge of the Humboldt coast puts you right at the launching pad for the most remote, untouched coastline in California.

• The Pass Campsite: A.W. Way County Park or Albee Creek Campground (Humboldt Redwoods)

  • While your federal pass applies directly to the nearby King Range National Conservation Area (BLM land) for primitive beach camping, a great inland basecamp is Albee Creek, nestled right in the giant old-growth redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It's incredibly quiet, shielded from the heavy ocean moisture, and sets you up perfectly for the day runs.

The Spoke: The Mattole Road "Wild West" Loop

• The Ride: This is a legendary 66-mile loop known locally as the "Lost Coast Loop." You strip the heavy gear off the bike and head out from the historic Victorian village of Ferndale.

• The Asphalt: The road climbs aggressively up Bear River Ridge, offering staggering, wide-open views of the ocean before diving down to track the actual beach sand for an uninterrupted, empty 10-mile stretch. It is patchy, bumpy, and slow-moving, demanding a steady hand and a relaxed pace.

• The Stops: Roll into Petrolia (site of California's very first oil well in 1865) and stop at the tiny general store in Honeydew for a cold bottle of soda and a chat with the locals on the wooden porch.

HUB 2: The Fort Bragg / Mendocino Area (The Twisties & Cliffs Basecamp)

Moving further south to Fort Bragg trades the rugged, bumpy roads of the Lost Coast for smooth, masterfully banked asphalt, historic harbor towns, and dramatic cliffside views.

• The Pass Campsite: Jackson Demonstration State Forest

  • Located just east of Fort Bragg along Highway 20, this massive public forest offers highly affordable, primitive camping nestled deep under a dense canopy of secondary redwoods and Douglas firs. It keeps you entirely out of the standard highway traffic while keeping you within 15 minutes of downtown.

Spoke 1: The "Deals Gap of the West" (The Leggett Loop)

• The Ride: This is a mind-bending, 178-mile loop built for finding a flawless cornering rhythm. You leave camp and head north up Highway 1 to Rockport, where the road leaves the ocean and turns into a 22-mile masterpiece of tight, smoothly banked, non-stop technical twisties through the mountains to Leggett.

• The Return: At Leggett, you pick up US-101 South through the old timber towns down to Willits, then cut back west toward the coast on Highway 20, which serves up miles of gorgeous, sweeping forest turns right back to your campsite.

Spoke 2: The Victorian Seaport & Apple Valley Run

• The Ride: A shorter, leisurely day focused on incredible scenery, historic architecture, and local American fare. Head south on Highway 1, hugging the cliffs down to the beautiful, white-picket-fence town of Mendocino (perched on a headland surrounded by the ocean on three sides).

• The Route: From Mendocino, continue south past the spectacular Navarro River bridge, then turn inland on Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley. This road snakes alongside the river under a giant redwood canopy before breaking out into rolling hills and historic apple orchards.

• The Stop: Pull the bike over at one of the historic local farm stands or simple valley diners for a slice of fresh, house-baked apple pie and a cup of coffee before looping back.