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Mendocino, the ocean-facing, quaint, unincorporated community roughly three hours north of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast, is a weekend escape for many people. On a bike, I came through here in 2015 as part of my cross-country bike tour, staying with a local I had contacted via Warm Showers. As a valid excuse to revisit this area, I put together a two-day bikepacking loop to the coast and back, starting and ending in Ukiah, roughly 50 miles inland and the largest city in Mendocino County.
I left my overnight accommodation east of Ukiah Municipal Airport early Saturday morning and went north on the Great Redwood Trail-Ukiah, part of The Great Redwood Trail project. Approaching the industrial northern part of town, I turned west onto Masonite Industrial Road. Originally cut into what was then essentially wilderness to log old-growth redwoods, this road now belongs to Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC). A sign at the eastern terminus states that the road is “closed to the public” and “use of the road is by written permission only”.
But what’s a cyclist to do? I decided to take my chances and continue until someone told me otherwise.
Riding on the wide and, apart from a few sections with tight corners, paved road with no traffic can’t be passed up. I slowly made my way up to the ridgeline at a gentle grade, perfect for logging trucks, weaving through farmland and the occasional group of cows. The traffic I did encounter (two pickup trucks) did not seem bothered by my presence.
Vegetation and climate changed as I descended from the first high point. While the eastern side felt dry and sparse, descending towards Comptche, the moisture in the air increased. It even started to drizzle, and I found myself making my way through familiar coastal Redwood groves. Low Gap Road, a narrow gravel road that felt more intimate than Masonite Road, took me to Orr Springs Road and thus back onto pavement.
Close to Comptche, I sought shelter from a brief downpour at a makeshift bus shelter. I conversed with the owner of the adjacent property, who had come down the driveway to collect his trash cans, even though he was surprised at the weather escapades. I restocked at Comptche Store, soaking in the atmosphere of being in rural middle-of-nowhere where few tourists or city dwellers ever go.
A couple of miles before reaching Mendocino, a fatal car accident halted progress for about twenty minutes, with emergency services blocking traffic in both directions. Eventually, I was allowed to continue and arrived in Mendocino at GoodLife Cafe & Bakery for a well-deserved late lunch and coffee. From there, a short stint on Highway 1 took me to Van Damme State Park, where I set up camp for the night at their hiker/biker sites in an otherwise fully booked and busy campground.
After some rain showers overnight, I continued south on Highway 1 a bit longer as I began the second day of this weekend adventure, soaking in the views of the Pacific Ocean to my right under clear and sunny skies. All of this felt very familiar from my ride along here nine years prior. A few miles north of Elk, I turned off the major highway onto Philo-Greenwood Road, a low-traffic local road through the backwoods of Mendocino County, through pine and redwood forests.
The riding experience was relaxing and enjoyable until I passed the Hendy Woods State Park entrance and merged onto Hwy 128. It was early Sunday afternoon, and the main road connecting the coastal region with Hwy 101 was busy with local and tourist traffic. The traffic, combined with little to no shoulder space and temperatures in the high 80s, made the remaining part of the trip more tedious than I had hoped. After passing vineyards and orchards in fertile Anderson Valley, I faced the final big climb on Boonville-Ukiah Road.
This stretch turned out to be quite challenging due to heavy traffic, limited shoulder space, and the mid-afternoon sun beating down on the fully exposed roadway as I ascended to the high point at 2200 feet. The final swift and speedy downhill back into Ukiah partially made up for the effort. Still, if I were to do it again, I would either time the second day differently or find an alternate route back to the starting point. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable weekend adventure, showcasing some of California’s most picturesque and serene natural environments.
The route for this trip is based on various entries on Jay Rawlins’ website and additional research on Ride With GPS. My main goal was some sort of loop that would incorporate Mendocino and ideally include some gravel terrain at a distance that can be reasonably accomplished over two days.
The result was, all considering, a good attempt, however, as stated above, the section after Boonville was too exposed and too high-traffic for my liking.
A possibly more enjoyable alternative would have been to stay on Hwy 128 early on day 2 (while traffic was still low) and then again take Masonite/Low Gap Road back to Ukiah.
Start and end of the route is in Ukiah, roughly two hours north of San Francisco by car. It has all the services and offers various accommodation options before and/or after the ride.
On day 1, the only opportunity after Ukiah to refuel is in Comptche at the main store. Similarly on day 2, there will be little on the way until one reaches Anderson Valley. Lemons Philo Market is a good opportunity to rest and restock.
The route is nearly 90% paved, however, Masonite Road is very bumpy and rough in certain sections and Low Gap Road entirely gravel. My choice to ride this on a gravel bike with 45c tires was overall appropriate. The wider tires provided an additional sense of stability and security on the descents, especially in wet conditions along the coast.
Route Info
- Comptche to Ukiah (Jay’s Essential Bike Rides)
- Mendocino/Comptche (Jay’s Essential Bike Rides)
- Philo-Greenwood Road (Jay’s Essential Bike Rides)
- Route spanning full length of Masonite Road (RWGPS)
Weather/Conditions
Other
- Ukiah-Mendo Gravel Epic (Grasshopper Adventure Series). Gravel race event spanning parts of the route.
- Van Damme State Park. Hiker/Biker sites are first-come first-served and $10/night (as of August 2024). Picnic tables, fire ring and coin-operated showers (4 quarters for 5 minutes).
- Hendy Woods State Park. Camping option for day 2.