Adventure riding is becoming increasingly more popular among cyclists in search of a car-free riding experience. Join the RRB Crew as they search for the wildest lines South of San Francisco, traversing along the California Coast until heading East to San Jose.
This past holiday I put my fate in the hands of a NorCal homie who claimed to know where to find the best burritos in Santa Cruz. While that may not have been true, he definitely knew the best routes to take between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Staying mostly off the beaten path and in the mountains, we found ourselves out in the bush with nowhere to go but up, literally.
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San Francisco to Santa Cruz
The route consists of closed dirt and gravel roads starting in South San Francisco where you immediately climb up and over to the Ocean. This famous ridge line is know as the Sweeney Ridge Trail.
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At the end of the first day you find yourself arriving in Half Moon Bay just as the sun is making its final descent into the ocean. Half Moon Bay State Park offers Hike and Bike campsites for only $7 a person and reservations are not required.
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Heading in and out of Half Moon State Beach is quite the treat. The local cycling/pedestrian shared path takes you along the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, spanning the short length of town.
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There are plenty of MTB trails in Santa Cruz to suit your fancy and your riding style. As you can see we found plenty of single track, closed gravel roads, closed redwood forest roads and, of course, the occasional hike-a-bike.
"It's not about the destination, but how much you can carry there"
RRB - Brad Adams
If you'd like the GPX file for this route, feel free to shoot me an email
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