Favorite Drives in the SF Bay Area

What are some of your favorites, either scenic or exhilarating?

Skyline Blvd between 92 and 84 is a solid ride-great views and the oppurtunity for some fun. Anything on the Coast Highway is scenic. But for a challenge, try driving UP Lombard in SF.

I'm sort of a Bay Area noob so I don't have any suggestions.

Hwy 9 out to Santa Cruz is always one of my favorites. As is 84 out to the coast as well. Many a hours I have spent on those roads..... Both are best done on a weekday, weekends they are crowded with idiots of all forms.

If you like curves and semi-mountain driving you really can't beat Mt. Hamilton. I've done the drive from Livermore to San Jose about ten or twelve times and it really is quite a nice way to spend three hours driving without getting that far from anything.

Hwy9 and 17 have been some of my long-time favorites. I forget which one had a few highschoolers kill themselves in their cars.

 

Also, anything alongside the coast will do it for me as well.

 

-Jim

Ditto on Skyline and 84 to the coast. Highway 1 in the wee morning hours is very nice too.

 

17 has too many trucks and/or traffic.

 

Ken

1)Highway 9 is a blast, but now a "known", so you have to watch out for traps.

2) Highway 73?, from Carmel Valley to Greenfield

3) Current Favorite: Bolinas-Fairfax Rd. in Marin, which is my route when I surf Bolinas or Pt. Reyes in the early morning. This is also a great bicycle road. They did a few Lance Armstrong biking shots on this road, and it connects with the Panoramic where EVERY car commercial is shot.

If you like curves and semi-mountain driving you really can't beat Mt. Hamilton. I've done the drive from Livermore to San Jose about ten or twelve times and it really is quite a nice way to spend three hours driving without getting that far from anything.

 

livermore?!?! the other end of mt. hamilton road ends in livermore?!?! i drive up a lot to mt. hamilton for fun but never dared to go to the otherside of the mountain. oh have you tried the quimby road branch-off from mt. hamilton?

livermore?!?! the other end of mt. hamilton road ends in livermore?!?! i drive up a lot to mt. hamilton for fun but never dared to go to the otherside of the mountain. oh have you tried the quimby road branch-off from mt. hamilton?

 

If you take mines road, yes. Alteratavely you can get to the 5 freeway that way. It is shorter than using the 580 to the 5, but takes quite a bit longer (Lots of 5 mph hair pin turns). There are quite a few branches you can take, I don't know where most of them go. look them up on maps.google.com

 

BTW if you do drive this road, watch out for bicyclests They like to ride up and down mount hamilton, and Mt Hamilton rd. has no bike lane, no sholder, and though it is two lanes all the way to the top, I have seen places on this road where a medium sized SUV has had his left wheels on the double yellow line in the center and his right wheels on the white line on the right simultaniously.

1)Highway 9 is a blast, but now a "known", so you have to watch out for traps.

2) Highway 73?, from Carmel Valley to Greenfield

3) Current Favorite: Bolinas-Fairfax Rd. in Marin, which is my route when I surf Bolinas or Pt. Reyes in the early morning. This is also a great bicycle road. They did a few Lance Armstrong biking shots on this road, and it connects with the Panoramic where EVERY car commercial is shot.

Nice to get some North Bay input.

check this site out http://pashnit.com/motoroads.htm#NC - used to use it in my motorcycling days.

Hwy 9 out to Santa Cruz is always one of my favorites. As is 84 out to the coast as well. Many a hours I have spent on those roads..... Both are best done on a weekday, weekends they are crowded with idiots of all forms.

 

To add to 84 (which is a great road, especially the section right after it crosses skyline heading west), I like to work in pescadero road, usually on the way back from the coast.

 

And I can't get enough of hwy 1 between carmel and san luis obispo (not really bay area though, and a bit of a trek for a day trip).

That stretch of Hwy 1 is my favorite.

from milpitas take calaveras blvd up to the hills till it becomes calaveras rd. going towards sunol.... thats a pretty fun drive. just dont go between 6am and 8am. lots of commuters coming from livermore on that stretch in the morning. lots of 5mph curves... i usually take at 15mph =)

from milpitas take calaveras blvd up to the hills till it becomes calaveras rd. going towards sunol.... thats a pretty fun drive. just dont go between 6am and 8am. lots of commuters coming from livermore on that stretch in the morning. lots of 5mph curves... i usually take at 15mph =)

That is an interesting road, 1 lane with two way traffic. There is no place to stop anywhere along it, and it doesn't seem to go anywhere useful, so it makes me wonder why it exists at all.

That is an interesting road, 1 lane with two way traffic. There is no place to stop anywhare allong it, and it doesn't seem to go anywhare useful, so it makes me wonder why it exists at all.

 

 

haha i aint complaining. i enjoy that road! i live right behind it and usually go around 2am.

I used to live in Oakley (down 4 past martinez/concord.) Two of my favorite roads are Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory. Marsh creek is a nice 40-60 cruise through the hills north and east of Mt Diablo. Its a beautifull drive and barring any traffic, it can be thrilling as well. Morgan Territory on the other hand is a bit more challenging. It branches off Marsh Creek just east of Mt Diablo, and heads down into Livermore. For a couple miles, the road is one lane wide for both directions and winds around so much you'll spend 85% of it in 2nd gear. On top of that, the road isn't publicly maintained so its quite rough. Both roads are destinations for me when I just want to spend some time with my car.

check this site out http://pashnit.com/motoroads.htm#NC - used to use it in my motorcycling days.

 

 

:icon_bigg

 

Yeah, those are the roads. We know most of them intimately. I especially enjoy Fairfax-Bolinas Rd., and that's a really nice workout for the arms and foot pedals (in a 5mt).

Morgan Territory Rd from Livermore to Clayton

Ditto on Hwy 35 from 92 all the way to where it turns into 9, and take 9 to Santa Cruz

Hecker Pass is fun, but short aka Hwy 152 west of Gilroy

One of my favorites is Hwy 25 south of Hollister all the way to Hwy 198, or you can cut off at Coalinga Rd (Los Gatos Cyn or Creek Rd), which is like Mines, but more desolate and windy, and take it all the way to Coalinga.

Palomares from Union City (Niles Cyn) to Castro Valley, a secret short cut I used to take home from Fremont when 880 was bad. Could make it from Mowry to my house in San Leandro in about 20 minutes this way.

Tesla Rd in Livermore- it turns into Corral Hollow as you head east, pretty fun

Patterson Pass Rd from Livermore to Tracy, out by the lab, goes down to one lane, and has awesome elevation changes.

How far do you want to venture? I can give you even more roads (better ones at that) if you're willing to get out of town a bit.....

Happy Driving!!!

What are some of your favorites, either scenic or exhilarating?

 

you may want to read my post over at the Southern Calif board...the long one!

 

Enjoy!

I'm a bit spoiled by living in Santa Cruz so driving on 17 daily is fun!! Of course driving route 9 and route 1 as well.

Hwy 1 in the north bay has ALWAYS been my favorite. Plus there are so many awesome "hole in the wall" restaurants, wineries, and shops. Back in high school, I had used that hwy on more than one occasion for a date to well....you know...

Next drive is definitely across the Golden Gate and north on 1.

Anybody go try Highway 25 yet???

 

Go early Saturday morning!!