Distance: 45.46 miles out-and-backClimbing: 2,321 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Arcata
0- Start at the Arcata Quad, located at the intersection of G Street and 8th Street. Head north on G Street from the Arcata Plaza. You will pass several good places to eat including, but not limited to, Cafe Brio, Big Blue Cafe, Jitter Bean coffee, and Golden Harvest Cafe. You also will pass the Outdoor Store (876 G Street) and Adventure's Edge (650 10th Street) where you can get bike supplies.
0.15- Left on 11th Street. Another recommended food stop is Los Bagels. You need to turn left from 11th to 1061 I street. Proceed west on 11th Street.
1.01- Turn right at Janes Rd. This is the point where you will begin to see less traffic and experience more rural surroundings.
1.51- Turn left at Foster Ave. You are truly in the Arcata bottoms now.
2.33- Turn right at Seidel Rd
3.34- Turn right at Lamphere Rd
3.85- Turn left at Mad River Rd
6.31- As the road begins to curve left, continue straight up and over the bridge on the Mad River. I have seen salmon spawning, river otters, and various birds. It is hard not to stop and take a look up or down the river. After leaving the bridge, you will hit a short but steep climb.
7.13- Stop sign at the intersection of School and Fischer Roads. The Hammond Trail starts on right side of road just past the intersection. Be careful of driveways. For some reason the Pacific Coast bike route heads east on School road, rather than up the Hammond Trail.
7.64- Cross Hiller Rd and continue straight.
7.78- Hiller Park. There is a playground, bathroom, water, and picnic site here. This is a good stop for the family.
8.44- Cross Knox Cove Rd to continue on the trail.
8.68- Right to stay on paved trail.
8.73- Merge onto Murray Rd for a short way.
8.98- Left to continue on trail before Highway 101 interchange. This portion of the trail was completed during the summer of 2007. Prior to this, the only option was to ride north on Highway 101.
9.28- Continue straight on Letz Road.
9.86- Continue straight at the stop sign on Letz Rd. If you want to avoid the gravel section of the Hammond trail, you will need to get on Highway 101 North here.
10- Continue on the trail at the end of Letz Rd
10.26- Start of gravel section. Be careful on this section of gravel which is fairly fine and well packed, but can be rough on standard road tires. There are plans to pave this section, but as of March 1, 2008, it remains gravel.
11.65- End of trail. Merge left onto Clam Beach Road.
13.1- Cross over Highway 101 on the overpass and turn left to merge onto Highway 101 North.
14.25- Exit the highway at the Westhaven exit.
14.43- Turn left at the stop sign and go under Highway 101. An alternative route is to turn right and take Westhaven Drive to Trinidad, which is more difficult because of more climbing. The route also lacks the scenic views of the coast.
14.48- Turn right on Scenic Drive. The road is rough in many spots but the scenery is worth it. Stop along the way at one of the scenic view points where you will likely see marine wildlife.
17.41- Trinidad- At the stop sign continue straight on Patrick's Point Drive. Trinidad has several good places to stop for food including the Eatery or Seascape restaurant. Turn left at the stop sign to explore Trinidad.
22.9- Patrick's Points State Park- Turn around here or explore the state park.
For ride data and a Google map check out this Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Arcata to Patrick's Point State Park
Below is a map from MapMyRide.com. Clicking on the map will direct you to the website where you can view the map through Google Earth or download a Garmin Course or GPX file. You can also print the map with notes.
Click below for a route sheet and elevation profile:
1 comment:
Hi Jim, I am going to be staying in Westhaven and taking a workshop in Arcata for a week in August and plan on renting a bike for my transportation. Thanks to your blog, I have a beautious and safe route to travel! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! Rita in Denver
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