Planning a Pacific Coast Highway trip - looking for suggestions

[CrazyCooter]

I'm not sure what you goals are for this trip and what you tolerance is for heavy traffic, high lodging expense, and just overall BS so take what I say with that into consideration.

I strait up HATE name branded locations because they attract the most and worst kind of people. My/our personal goal on trips is to see as much cool country and cool roads as possible with the minimal amount of BS impeding it and less human interaction. It is a little hard to see some iconic locations without having some patience though.......

All that said, I would highly recommend that you consider adding in or maybe split into 2 trips doing the entire section of Hwy1/101 from Olympia, Wa all the way down as far as you can tolerate! We live in Far NorCal and just finished up a trip from Crescent City, CA to Olympia, WA. I really wanted to begin at the Golden Gate Bridge and head north this time, but the wife could only get 5 days off this round and it was already just shy of an 1800 mile loop. Doing the section to the south is on the list, but just not sure how much I can stand? Maybe as the economy dumps, there will be less people on the road, but the times I was down near the SF bay area on Hwy 1, the traffic was horrible traveling 5-20 mph and it took FOREVER to go nowhere.....It surely can't get better with more density and city slicker tourists as you get farther south?

 

[Snoking1127]

I rode from East Valley on Phoenix to NW Washington last May in 6 day/1850 miles. I hit highway 1 North of San Francisco. From North of Fort Bragg where you turn inland to highway 101 is VERY twistie in heavy forest. I stayed on 101 to Raymond, Wa. I was a bucket list/repositioning of one of my Spyders.

Highway 1 South of SF as noted above has closures. https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html

 

[MNF3]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions so far! This weekend we have our first planning meeting and I’ll send these to the group.
Bob

 

[blacklightning]

Down PCH up Rt66 :dontknow: :doorag: opcorn:

We are in the process of planning a trip that will get in both. We are starting from NC and heading West. We will be doing a lot of Rt 66 and plan on getting over to the West Coast Hwy and heading North. Not sure how far North, but then we will work our way back to NC. Our time frame is +/- 6 weeks. We are looking at starting our trip the week after Memorial Day weekend. I will be doing a separate thread asking for suggestions a little later.

 

[MNF3]

Suggest you look at Butler Motorcycle Maps, https://butlermaps.com/collections/motorcycle-maps. You might find some routes that suit your fancy.

They are great! I have Rever Pro which includes Butler maps.

 

[MNF3]

Here is the overall route so far.

 

[RayBJ]

Don't rule out some of the inland roads in Cal. Especially when you get closer to LA area. The Butler maps are good to have if you prefer 'motorcycle' routes.

 

[Jesster72]

I'm watching this - the Pacific Coast is on our list. Thanks you all for contributing. To the OP, looks like an awesome trip.

 

[easysuper]

Three of us are just starting the planning process for a trip next August. Looking at trailering the bikes from Southern MN to Denver or Salt Lake City; then ride to Oregon; get on the Highway there and ride down to Los Angeles. Then ride East and back up to Denver or Salt Lake City.
Can this trip be done in two weeks? Where should we stop? Just looking to your experience on this route.
Thanks in advance!
Bob

My wife and I have ridden the PCH at least a dozen times in the last 10 years, our first time was on a brand new 2013 RTL we had bought 2 days before and was our very first experience on a Spyder! Now we are on our 3rd pair and last summer I rode mine to the Artic Circle solo as she did not want to mess with the misquotes. We both have our own bikes, and she pulls the pop up and I pull the kitchen gear trailer. If I was you, I would stop at San Francisco and head back to Salt Lake, it gets crowded the further South you go. Check out BunkaBiker for places to stay to stretch your budget and you will meet like-minded people. We have hosted riders for the last 4 years and have made many friends. We host East of Portland. When you get south of Eureka just before the Redwoods, make sure you take the side trip into Ferndale, you won't regret it. A shorter trip will give you more time to see all the sites and not be in a rush. Another fun place to stop is the Trees of Mystery, a tourist trap but well worth the time, and take the Gondola ride through the treetops. If you have any questions PM me if you want.

 

[MNF3]

My wife and I have ridden the PCH at least a dozen times in the last 10 years, our first time was on a brand new 2013 RTL we had bought 2 days before and was our very first experience on a Spyder! Now we are on our 3rd pair and last summer I rode mine to the Artic Circle solo as she did not want to mess with the misquotes. We both have our own bikes, and she pulls the pop up and I pull the kitchen gear trailer. If I was you, I would stop at San Francisco and head back to Salt Lake, it gets crowded the further South you go. Check out BunkaBiker for places to stay to stretch your budget and you will meet like-minded people. We have hosted riders for the last 4 years and have made many friends. We host East of Portland. When you get south of Eureka just before the Redwoods, make sure you take the side trip into Ferndale, you won't regret it. A shorter trip will give you more time to see all the sites and not be in a rush. Another fun place to stop is the Trees of Mystery, a tourist trap but well worth the time, and take the Gondola ride through the treetops. If you have any questions PM me if you want.

Thanks!

 

[PDXRTL]

As you leave Missoula (which I think is #3 on your map), please consider heading south to Lolo and then taking Lolo Pass (hwy 12). It is regularly listed as one of the best motorcycle roads in the country (with good reason) and it would be a shame to miss it. And, per Google maps, it adds only about an hour to the route you have planned to get you over to where I-82 crosses the Columbia River. If you just plug in Missoula to Umatilla, you'll get a nice route. It is sooo much better than staying on 90/395/82

 

[Snoking1127]

This is something I wanted to do for years. However, I was always towing an RV trailer. Last May, when I moved Hooker from Arizona to Washington, I was able to do it. And I actually caught a train doing the Tehachapi 360 loop. This is a short side trip off highway 58, East of Bakersfield, Ca. Stay on the paved road until you come to the overlook area above the loop.

 

[ARtraveler]

The current fires have now changed the whole landscape of the PCH. It may be well into late summer before driving is back to "normal."

 

[Raven]

The current fires have now changed the whole landscape of the PCH. It may be well into late summer before driving is back to "normal."

Another problem will be after the rains in the spring.
Might not get a lot of rain, but with no vegetation to help, there will be a lot of mudslides.

 

[MNF3]

As you leave Missoula (which I think is #3 on your map), please consider heading south to Lolo and then taking Lolo Pass (hwy 12). It is regularly listed as one of the best motorcycle roads in the country (with good reason) and it would be a shame to miss it. And, per Google maps, it adds only about an hour to the route you have planned to get you over to where I-82 crosses the Columbia River. If you

just plug in Missoula to Umatilla, you'll get a nice route. It is sooo much better than staying on 90/395/82

Cool!

 

[Snoking1127]

12 is a nice way to go. We towed our 5th on that route back in 2007, the second year of my retirement.

 

[blacklightning]

Another problem will be after the rains in the spring.
Might not get a lot of rain, but with no vegetation to help, there be a lot of mudslides.

I am thinking about that also. We will be doing the PCH during parts of the month of June. Keeping track of things as best as possible to see how we might have to alter our plans.

 

[MRH]

Suggest you look at Butler Motorcycle Maps, https://butlermaps.com/collections/motorcycle-maps. You might find some routes that suit your fancy.

Rever also integrates those maps - it's a great way to plan a long ride.

 

[MNF3]

Rever also integrates those maps - it's a great way to plan a long ride.

Yes, I’ve used Rever Pro for a couple years now. Works great.