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Dual Sport Rides - CUESTA RIDGE - |
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Dual Sport Rides - CUESTA RIDGE - |
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Caution: While this web page may describe specific rides, it is your responsibility to ensure that traveling on ANY land is legal and safe.
Description: A beautiful ride accross the Cuesta Ridge- this ride takes you from the top of the grade, accross the ridge, and drops you down on highway 41, just 5 minutes or so from Atascadero. Optional side-excursions, as well. A great ride!
Riding Time on Dirt: ~ 25minutes
Riding Time on Pavement: ~5minutes there, ~30minutes back
Difficulty Level: Intermediate & Up
Map: Click here for a MAP of the Cuesta Ridge area! (250k .JPG)
The Cuesta Ridge road is visible on this map. To ride the cuesta ridge loop, follow the directions below. On this map, you should take note that you will go down the dirt road (solid black lines), through the gate, past Cerro Alto Mtn., and continue all the way to Highway 41. The last half-mile or so is seen on the map as dashed-black lines.
Directions: Go North on Highway 101 from San Luis
Obispo. Just before the top of the grade, turn left into the dirt area
- just before the truck parking area. There are two roads - the one on
the left that goes down the grade is called "Stagecoach." It
will take you to the bottom of the grade [STAGECOACH ROAD IS CLOSED AS OF 4/00 DUE TO CONSTRUCTION]. You want to take the (badly) paved road up to the right. This road will take you up to the ridge itself.
Once on the ridge, you can see a spectacular
view of San Luis, and even Morro Bay.
Continue Northward on the (badly)
paved road. You will pass the first cluster of antennas on your right.
Continue northward, and at about the second cluster of antennas, there
will be a gate, and it will turn to dirt.
Take the dirt road straight. It will wind
you around a little bit, and will continue in a somewhat Northern direction
on the ridge.
After a mile or two, the road enters a clearing area, and
you find yourself under large Eucalyptus trees...
If you continue straight, you should see a dirt hump in the road, and
some eucalyput trees that may be partially concealing the trail.
Don't be fooled. As long as you keep straight upon entering the clearing,
you will find your way. Go over the hump, and in about 50 feet, you will
come to a steel railing in the road...
This is the most difficult part of the whole ride. You must ride up and
around the railing to the right. It is possible, I assure you. Once over
the railing, continue straight on the overgrown single-track. It will dump
you at a dirt intersection covered in rocks. At the intersection, make
a sharp turn to the right (about 150degrees), and take the road that continues
slightly uphill. Take this road/trail for about 4 minutes, and then pay
attention for a fork to the right. It is possible to miss, so keep an eye
out. Take the fork to the right. It is a single track, and will become
a steep downhill quickly. Keep to the right, and this will take you down
through the fern-gullys, and will dump you in the parking lot of the Cerro
Alto campground. Exit the campground, and you will be faced with highway
41. If you go left, it will take you to Morro Bay. If you go right, it
will take you to Atascadero. Both cities have fast-food within 10 minutes.
Take a break.
Roll-Chart:
No mileage required until next...
@ driveway to first set of antennas RESET
botanical area
@ 2.4mi - end of botanical area
@ 4.7mi - gate & road to right to 2nd antennas
@ 7.5mi - hump, and then railing in trail
@ 4-way rocky intersection RESET
@ .3mi - caution: bowl
@ .7mi - invisible right turn
Cuesta Ridge Excursion #1 - South on the Ridge
Description: A nice, fast fire road on West Cuesta. If you've got the balls, it connects to the RR tracks.
Map: Click here for a MAP of the Cuesta Ridge area! (250k .JPG)
On this map, the south ridge road is seen as two black lines running parallel, with hash marks in between that does NOT connect back to 101. The road that goes from the summit down to 101 is "Stagecoach Rd."
Directions: From the parking/info area directly off 101, go up the (semi-) paved road to the right. After about 2 minutes, you will see a "Road Closed" sign on your left. Ride to the left of the gate, and continute on that dirt road. In a couple hundred feet, you will come to an intersection. To your extreme left is a cool hill to speed up and down, and it has a jump for you daredevils. The road that continues generally straight (or slightly to the left) is the road that you want. Also at this intersection, you can take the road downhill to the right. This is "Shooters" and it will take you towards the RR tracks and Cal Poly. Finally, up the steep hill to your right is a tough uphill, that dumps you at a large turnout a few hundred feet up the Cuesta Ridge road. Anyway, take the downhill road towards the left. This will take you a mile or two along the ridge. Watch out for ruts on the downhills, and gates at the bottom. If you go through a closed gate, be sure to close it after you pass through. Leave gates as you found them. Eventually, you will make a hard left turn, and will be faced with a somewhat tough downhill single-track. In the rainy season, this can be challenging. Anyway, at this point, you can either turn around, or continue down to the RR tracks. Once at the RR tracks, you can either try to lift your bike over the tracks, or you can ride north-west along the tracks and try to find the road that crosses them. CAUTION: it is tough, and dangerous to try to ride or lift your bike over RR tracks! Once on the south-east side of the tracks, you can go north-east paralleling the tracks, hoping that the gate is open a mile or so down on your right. IT MAY NOT BE. If you find this gate, it will drop you on Stagecoach Road [STAGECOACH RD. WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION AS OF 4/00]. going up stagecoach takes you to the top of the grade at Hwy 101. Going South on Stagecoach takes you to the bottom of the grade. If you decided instead, to ride along the tracks westward, you will need to take a road to the left, and go through Poly Canyon, and back to civilization.
Cuesta Ridge Excursion #2 - Botanical Trails
Description: a vast network of trails and single-tracks that dont seem to go through to anywhere in particular.
Map: Click here for a MAP of the Cuesta Ridge area! (250k .JPG)
Directions: From the beginning of the Cuesta
Ridge road, continue north on the paved road until you enter the botanical
area.
As soon as you enter the botanical area, make a hard left, and go
around the gate to the left.
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