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Woodside to Coast Long Loop
Cycling Route
Details
57.15 mi
6,702 ft
Woodside to Pescadero PAVED ROADS WITH MODERATE CAR TRAFFIC Total Distance: 57.1 miles Elevation Gain: 5800 feet Riding Time: 5-7 hours Summary: For an epic cycling adventure in the San Francisco Bay Area this demanding loop cannot be beat. A lot of hill climbing and a lot of scenery make up this all-day ride from Woodside to the coast. With 5800 fee of elevation gain it is not for the faint of heart. But there are enough serious cyclists living on the Peninsula that every weekend hundreds of them take this epic ride. The rides first 6.6 miles mimic the shorter Woodside to Skyline Short Loop. But this time you head south on Skyline passing Windy Hill and Russian Ridge Open Space Preserves while gaining another 500 feet then turn west on Alpine Road. Descend 2000 feet in the next seven miles. Most of it is open grasslands but you also pass through a stretch of old-growth redwoods called the Heritage Grove in Alpine Roads last two miles. Lock up your bike a take a short walk through these magnificent trees. With a left turn on Pescadero Rd you will climb again over a steep grade for almost two miles. But then you drop again this time all the way to sea level in the town of Pescadero. After a food and rest break in this small village Stage Rd and Hwy 1 take you over comparitively easy terrain (two 300-foot climbs) to Tunitas Creek Road where you begin you last major climb of the day. This nine-miler is one of the favorite training rides of cyclists on the coast. The majority of it is in shady redwoods the climb holds an average 6 percent grade (total 2000-foot gain) and cars are a rarity. The last six miles from Skyline Boulevard are all downhill back to your car.
Created By
Jonathan K
