Best time of year to ride Highway 1?

[BZeto]

I plan on riding my motorcycle to LA and up PCH to San Francisco this year. This could have gone in Off Topic but it seems like we have a lot of motorcyclists in this forum. I originally thought that mid summer would be great but I hear that that is when the fog is the worst due to the really warm inland temps. Is this true?

I wouldn't be ready until late spring or early summer at the earliest. Should I do it then, mid summer or wait until fall? I'm basically looking for warm weather and highest chance of clear skies and low fog.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't know about northern California but summertime is usually the time of the least fog in SoCal. May and June are typically the gloomiest along the coast.

Edit-September would probably be a great time to do that ride.

 

[Sukhoi]

The Bay Area seems to get the most fog in the summer. I'm not sure about the rest of the coast.

IMHO go ride in September (or maybe May). Either way do it when school is still in session, and the road isn't clogged with traffic.

 

[angry hampster]

Envious. Wish there were big scenic routes like that here in the midwest.

 

[abaez]

I went two years ago in mid-August and it was crystal clear. No fog in SF and the drive up and down was gorgeous.

 

[The Stigenator]

The best time to ride PCH is when its not crowded. So avoid teh summer, you wont be able to go fast though there, unless its a week day. Weekends forget it.

I have done PCH in April, it was fine, cool weather, just wear something warm and take stops often. Though I've had friends do it in August and enjoyed it too. Just time it away from weekends if possible. Remember the main area between SLO and Monterey has a few gas stops, plan ahead if you got a small tank.

 

[BZeto]

Thanks for the input. I'm taking time off of work for this so it's pretty likely that I'll have some weekdays. Sounds like it all depends as far as fog goes. Depending on the bike status I might try it in May. If that doesn't work out I could skip June/July and schedule for August when summer vacationers aren't so plentiful.

My plan is to ride from home (Phoenix) to San Diego. Then all the way up to San Francisco on as much of Highway 1 as possible. Then either come back down Highway 1 or cut through Yosemite National Park, down through Death Valley, to Vegas and then home. I've had a trip like this in my mind for a couple years now, I just need to make it happen now, and I think 2011 is the year.

 

[yhelothar]

Make sure you leave really early. It took me 12hrs to get through hwy1, and driving through in the dark was not fun.

I left at 10am in the summer and that was a BIG mistake. The last 4hrs was in the fog at night.

But on the way back, I learned my lesson and it was OMG SO AWESOME!

 

[thomsbrain]

Death Valley in the summer on a bike really doesn't sound like a good idea. You might not make it home alive.

I went from SF to the LA on Highway 1 with a car club in September and it took maybe 10 hours including numerous stops for gas, food, and potties. Weather was really nice.

 

[Sukhoi]

Loops are always better than out-and-backs IMHO. But yea don't go through Death Valley June-Aug. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=746191&refer= It's a great park (one of my favorites and I've been to most), and there is a lot you can see on an auto tour with short hikes.

Even if you don't go to Death Valley the drive down 395 is really scenic. I just did that 3 weeks ago on the way from the Grand Canyon to Tahoe.

Highway 1 is pretty similar both north and south of San Francisco FYI. I like your plan of doing it from LA to SF, then going across Yosemite and down 395. Hit up Death Valley if the temps are reasonable.

If you're not dead set on needing to go to LA and seeing CA-1 near Santa Barbara you could look into doing Sequoia at the beginning of your trip. Then head across CA-46 to the coast, drive up to SF, over and across Yosemite, then down 395. If you like mountain biking I'm pretty sure at Mammoth you can rent bikes, take the gondola up, and ride all the way down.

 

[MiataNC]

My plan is to ride from home (Phoenix) to San Diego. Then all the way up to San Francisco on as much of Highway 1 as possible. Then either come back down Highway 1 or cut through Yosemite National Park, down through Death Valley, to Vegas and then home. I've had a trip like this in my mind for a couple years now, I just need to make it happen now, and I think 2011 is the year.

If I was you....

I would plan the trip and make sure I was in Monterey on July 22, 23, and 24. Then find a group of riders to hook up with for all or part of the trip up the coast and catch the.....

2011 Red Bull US Grand Prix - MotoGP (Mazda: Laguna Seca Raceway)
http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/tix-USGP_2011

 

[BZeto]

I'll consider just taking 395 back. Although I can't imaging the section from Mammoth to LA is very exciting. Good points about Death Valley in the summer looking at those temps, even though Phoenix really isn't much better.

I definitely don't plan on doing all of Highway 1 in one day. I'll split it into at least a few days.

 

[Sukhoi]

I'll consider just taking 395 back. Although I can't imaging the section from Mammoth to LA is very exciting. Good points about Death Valley in the summer looking at those temps, even though Phoenix really isn't much better.

I definitely don't plan on doing all of Highway 1 in one day. I'll split it into at least a few days.

Lone Pine and south is pretty boring. Definitely go through Death Valley if you can handle the temps. Not sure if you're camping or doing hotels, but there are some higher elevation campgrounds on the west side of the park that will be cooler.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I'm going to SF for a week at the end of March. I'll be staying for 4 days there, then wanted to go down to LA for 3 days, and back up to SF for my flight.

I was thinking of driving down the PCH to LA, then take the 5 to drive back to SF as I read it's quicker. Would you guys recommend doing the PCH in one day or two? Are there places to sleep in the middle between SF and LA?

 

[Sukhoi]

I'm going to SF for a week at the end of March. I'll be staying for 4 days there, then wanted to go down to LA for 3 days, and back up to SF for my flight.

I was thinking of driving down the PCH to LA, then take the 5 to drive back to SF as I read it's quicker. Would you guys recommend doing the PCH in one day or two? Are there places to sleep in the middle between SF and LA?

I-5 is far faster than CA-1 (PCH), but is an ugly stinky boring drive with a ton of traffic. You could also do US-101 back. It's more scenic but will take an hour longer. Doing all of CA-1 from SF to LA in 1 day is possible but will be a very long drive with little time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

There are plenty of places to stay on CA-1 near the middle. Big Sur, Cambria, Morro Bay, etc.

 

[BZeto]

I can see hotel rates being pretty high along PCH. Maybe not terrible in March, but I'm sure they hike the rates in the summer.

I hear much of the land between LA and SF is campable for free or very little money. This is what I plan doing if I can get away with it.

 

[BZeto]

I can see hotel rates being pretty high along PCH. Maybe not terrible in March, but I'm sure they hike the rates in the summer.

I hear much of the land between LA and SF is campable for free or very little money. This is what I plan doing if I can get away with it.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I haven't ridden a motorcycle up PCH, but I have driven. Definitely do it during the week and when school is in session. As far as the fog goes, I drove it during October from San Luis Obispo to SF, didn't see any fog, but that was probably a fluke.

 

[HarryLui]

Went on PCH 2 weeks ago. One day was foggy, the other was clear as crystal.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Thanks for the input. I'm taking time off of work for this so it's pretty likely that I'll have some weekdays. Sounds like it all depends as far as fog goes. Depending on the bike status I might try it in May. If that doesn't work out I could skip June/July and schedule for August when summer vacationers aren't so plentiful.

My plan is to ride from home (Phoenix) to San Diego. Then all the way up to San Francisco on as much of Highway 1 as possible. Then either come back down Highway 1 or cut through Yosemite National Park, down through Death Valley, to Vegas and then home. I've had a trip like this in my mind for a couple years now, I just need to make it happen now, and I think 2011 is the year.

When you get to San Diego you can crash at my place for a night if you want. I'm in north county near the coast. PM me if you're interested.

Trust me, you want to avoid PCH between San Diego and Malibu. First of all, it doesn't go all the way through and second you'll spend an entire day just going 100 miles...and Laguna is really the only place you'd want to spend any time anyway.

 

[BZeto]

When you get to San Diego you can crash at my place for a night if you want. I'm in north county near the coast. PM me if you're interested.

Trust me, you want to avoid PCH between San Diego and Malibu. First of all, it doesn't go all the way through and second you'll spend an entire day just going 100 miles...and Laguna is really the only place you'd want to spend any time anyway.

Noted about PCH and thanks for the offer of a place to stay. Now I'm more leaning towards just riding to LA and then to Ojai. Then taking SR33 to SR58 to the coast and jump on PCH at that point. SR33 looks like an awesome ride.