Sunday Drive: Bodega Bay Loop
Sunday, June 13, 2010
View Larger ImageWhat you'll see: Awesome coastal views, foothill grasslands and surprise forests and redwoods are the rewards for those who tour this loop in Sonoma County. One of the crowning moments is the short side trip to Bodega Head for ocean views and whale watching, and often one of the best spots anywhere for sunsets. Out of Sebastopol, the route tours through pretty coastal foothills. You top a ridge and the ocean comes into view as you drop into Bodega Bay. To complete the loop, you turn inland on a pretty two-laner to Occidental and then ride through second-growth redwoods back to the starting point.
On-the-spot note: Excellent trip for road biking.
Rec options: Bodega Bay, Bodega Head, Sonoma Coast State Park/Shell Beach (Pomo Trail on east side of highway).
Opening July 1: Willow Creek and Pomo walk-in campgrounds; day-use areas at Bodega Head East, Campbell Cove, Bodega Dunes, South Salmon, South Goat Rock/Blind Beach, Russian Gulch.
Cost: Free at Bodega Head; $8 per vehicle at Sonoma Coast State Park beaches.
How to get to starting point: From San Francisco, take Highway 101 north for 40 miles to Sonoma County, Cotati and the exit for Highway 116 West/Rohnert Park-Sebastopol. Take that exit and drive 8.5 miles to Sebastopol and Highway 116 West/Sebastopol. Turn left and go 1.6 miles to the Bodega Highway/Highway 12.
How to drive loop (36 miles): In Sebastopol, turn left (west) on Bodega Highway/Highway 12 and drive 9 miles (stay on Bodega Highway at two junctions) to Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive 5 miles to Bodega Bay, then continue north on Highway 1 for 3 miles to Coleman Valley Road. Turn right on Coleman Valley Road and go 10.5 miles (stay on Coleman Valley Road at all junctions) to the Bohemian Highway and Occidental. Turn right on the Bohemian Highway and go 3 miles to Freestone, then continue on the Bohemian Highway (it turns left/east) for 5.5 miles back to Sebastopol.
Bodega Head side-trip: From Bodega Bay, take Highway 1 north for 0.6 of a mile to Eastshore Road on left. Turn left and go 0.3 of a mile to Bay Flat Road. Turn right and go 0.3 of a mile to Westshore Road, and then continue (along Bodega Bay) south for 3 miles up to Bodega Head and a fork. Take right fork to parking lot for ocean view and trailhead.
Contacts: Sonoma Coast State Park, (707) 875-3483, parks.ca.gov.
This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/06/13/SPGC1DTJE8.DTL#ixzz0rySrXU27
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