The way points of this bicycle route:
Start at the Capitola Communit Center/Jade St. Park, 4400 Jade St. Water, restrooms available.
L Jade
X 41st Ave, becomes Brommer
L 7th Ave.
R Eaton
X over harbor, becomes Murray. Notice the train bridge to the right
R, becomes E Cliff. The rail line passes under the road here.
L (just before Hiawatha) to enter ped path down to train trestle. Some folks may now wish to cross the trestle: continue down E Cliff, L Riverside (X over river), R Beach (on the ocean side of Beach, which is one-way the wrong way, is a 2-way bike path) to rejoin the main route
R onto train trestle (supposed to walk bikes here) to cross river next to the rail line
R exit from the trestle, down to ground level
L (west) along path to Beach St.
Beach is 1-way for cars, but we use the 2-way bike path on the ocean side of it
at intersection with Pacific/Front & the wharf, follow rail line (offroad) past bike/skate park
and then under the W Cliff overpass
still following path, we reach the site of the (gone) SC train station (now a restroom is there)
L (cross tracks) to get onto Chestnut
R Chestnut
at intersection with Locust, follow the R fork of Chestnut (don't go up hill)
just beyond Green, park bike and walk along tracks to S end of Mission St. tunnel. This tunnel is still in use.
U return to bikes
L Chestnut
L Center
R Mission
L Pacific/Front
L River
L Mora
just beyond Amat, turn left, walk bikes S along track
view the N end of the Mission tunnel. U turn
R Mora
immediate L Amat
R Potrero
L River. Here is where you chose your route to Felton. The main route will go up 9, parrelleling the rail line. But some may want to use Graham Hill or El Rancho to Scotts Valley and Mt. Hermon to Felton. If so, go R on River, L Josephine, R on bikepath along the river, up to Water St, L to cross over the river. L Ocean, then choose your route to Felton.
X Hwy. 1, continue N on River
here the rails cross 9 at an oblique angle - take care to cross them perpendicular to your wheels
R into New Leaf Market. Coffee, snacks, A riders should get their lunch.
L 9 (yes, we're backtracking)
L N Big Trees Park Rd - to enter Henry Cowell St. Park
in the parking lot of the visitor center, the A group will break off to the far right corner; B & C will go left to cross over the tracks into Roaring Camp. Restrooms and water at W side of lot.
go up dirt path to left, cross over the tracks, continue to the Roaring Camp central (unpaved) street
L (north) to go towards RC parking lot
after pond on left, X RC covered bridge (the shortest in the nation)
continue through RC parking lot to entrance
L Graham Hill
R E Zayante
S. Notice rail line to the right.
R Olympia Station Rd.
U end of road at tracks (the station house is gone). It's possible to follow the tracks N past their endpoint, but is a little rough, so we will return to Zayante Rd.
R E Zayante
S Zayante store - maybe lunch here (it's a long way to Summit Store)
R Madrone Way
U. Here is the S entrance of the short Zayante tunnel. Now it functions as a record storage facility. (I haven't found the other end of this tunnel.)
R E Zayante
S. As the road bends left here, Mtn. Charlie Gulch is off to the right. The west end of the short Mtn. Charlie tunnel is about 1.5 m up that canyon. We won't go there.
R Summit/35
X over 17
L Morrill Rd
L Wrights Station Rd.
Stop just before the bridge over Los Gatos Crk; there is a trail up the canyon to the left. Walking up, we find the N end of the Wrights Tunnel. Watch your step.
R Wrights Station Rd.
S at intersection with Morrill
L Summit (to reach our next stop at Laurel, some might choose to use Schulties Rd (R Summit, L Schulties) - I don't recommend it.)
S Summit store
R Soquel-SJ Rd.
R Redwood Lodge Rd.
Stop at the intersection with Schulties and Laurel roads. The old rail town of Laurel was here (all gone, I think). And so are 2 tunnel entrances, both probably on private property. I've only found one of them, on a gravel road alongside the main house near the intersection. There is the S end of the Wrights tunnel and the E end of the Glenwood tunnel.
But we make a U and return on Redwood Lodge. (For the C riders going to Glenwood, another possibility is taking L on Laurel, crossing 17 (risky) and riding a few hundred yards L (S) on 17 to Glenwood cutoff. This saves a lot of miles and climbing, so I won't do it.)
R Soquel-SJ Rd.
S on S-SJ at Laurel Glen (Casalegno's store). The C riders will go right.
R Walnut
L Robertson
S - becomes Wharf; cross under 1
R 49th (to avoid 1-way part of Wharf)
L Capitola
R Wharf
X under train trestle
R Opal Cliff
R 47th
X tracks for the last time (level crossing)
L onto path into Jade St. Park
Finished.
Welcome to Bikely, take a step by step tour of this path:
Press Start Tour - then use the navigation buttons below to move along the path.
exercise involved; adds at least 3 tunnel entrances
Tagged with: Recreational, Difficult
