So, the flights and train are all booked, September 9th I'm on my way from Vancouver to San Francisco. Due to time constraints I'm only cycling the Eugene to San Francisco portion. I've found a lot of good information here in the touring forum (found an awesome route to the coast out of Eugene), as well as the regional forums, but I was hoping some who have done the trip could chime in on a few questions I still have.

1. I googled the hell out of campsites along my route, and I was wondering if "cheap" campsites exist in California. Through Oregon it's mostly free or $5 a night, but in California some of the state parks are closed by the time I get there, and the private parks are pricey. Even KOA wants $30 a night.

2. Can somebody in San Francisco recommend a bike shop? I already decided I'm going to let pros pack it up for the return trip.

3. Once I get to the Coast I was planning on Highway 101 then Highway 1. Any parts of those I should avoid, or anything in particular I should go see?

Thaks in advance for the help.

I just did eugene to sf about a month ago. Incredible ride. I followed the aca route including the lost coast,with a few side trips , one the mouth of the klamath and down old coastal dr , and also up to ladybird johnson grove.when you get within 50 miles of the ca border I would take every single turnout and viewpoint even if it means a liitle climb...stunning views are your reward. I never had to pay more than 8 bucks for a campsight. Have a great trip, I wish I was going with you

A few shots from my trip...

Thanks for the tips about stopping for pull outs, I'm bad for not wanting to stop and smell the roses and instead just powering through.

Any advice on how you found your campsites. I did order the ACA maps and am hoping there will be some info on them. Like I said, google was kind of unproductive for California campsites.

https://www.hostels.com/, but I dont see much between Springfield/Eugene and GGNRA in Marin County , or SFO itself.

IYHA membership may be needed , there was a pay in installments plan when I used Hostels in Scotland.


might seek out Warm-showers or couch-surfing contacts.. or use no reserve hiker-biker sites in State parks..

Bike Shops san francisco on a map:

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-...&ved=0CIsBELcD

I looked around , found a few that were going in the 80s are still going .
from when I lived in SF... lots that I never heard of..

The aca maps have it all...stores campsights the best side streets etc. All the major elevation changes are on it too so you know what kind of hills you'll be facing day to day. I like krebs maps too but the aca route down the coast is extremely well thought out .

Yeah...every single turnout.... the southern oregon coast is one of the most ,if not the most beautiful place I've ever been

simple ... google: cal trans bike map

https://www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1transp...bike_route.pdf

odot pacific coast bike route

https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEP..._route_map.pdf

If the CA state park campgrounds are closed for the season, consider stealth camping nearby...

Which state campgrounds exactly are supposed to be closed, anyway? Maybe there's some good alternatives nearby.

There is a campground just north of Orick at the southern end of the Drury Parkway. I haven't used it and I didn't see any showers, but if you can't make Patrick's point it may be useful. (It's a darn shame the hostel just north of there closed a few years ago; that was a special place.) I hope Patrick's Point campground is open. The hiker/biker location is fantastic, just above the ocean. If you go to the Lost Coast, Camp A. W. Way, a Humboldt County campground near Honeydew, is about $5. The shower is cold, but there are flush toilets and a river. I imagine the Fort Bragg state campground will be open and the last time I was there it was less than $10 for hiker/biker plus some quarters for a shower. At the Mendocino/Sonoma County line there is a Sonoma County campground (Gualala). It is less than $10 for hiker/biker and $1.50 in quarters to shower. Warning: the raccoons in Sonoma County are plentiful and will take any food left out; use the food lockers the moment you arrive. There is another Sonoma County campground just south of Salt Point and north of Jenner Mountain with the same price. I've stayed at Manchester State Park in the past. It has water, some flush and some pit toilets but no showers; it's just behind the KOA about twelve miles north of the Sonoma County Line in Mendocino County. It's probably better to just push on to Gualala if you can. There used to be a state campground at Bodega Bay, but I haven't checked on it in years.

That's about all I know regarding CA coastal campgrounds since my regular ride takes me inland at the Russian River. Good luck.

Train question for anyone who has taken their bike on the Amtrack between Vancouver and Eugene:

I've purchased a spot on the train for my bike, and made sure I'm on a train with accommodation for un-boxed bikes. Can I leave my panniers on the bike, or do I have to remove them?

The bikes are in a baggage car not accessible to the public, and I'll have my more valuable stuff with me.

Have you telephoned the train station, first? what did they say?

Spoke with customer service this morning and the rep didn't know. "I guess you'll have to ask when you get there."

I just rode the train down from Montana to Albany earlier this week. Albany is the stop north of Eugene. Our bikes were boxed. The unboxed bikes are hung from hooks in the baggage car. I am pretty sure that they will want the panniers off of the bike to get them on the hooks. Presently the trains have a car that will hold 6 bikes, but they are planning to upgrade to 12 bikes in the near future.

We could not get a reservation for unboxed bikes. But if we could have our plan was to use the lightweight duffel bags we use when we box our bikes (for any mode of travel). We empty the contents of our panniers into 2 large, very lightweight duffel bags, and leave the empty panniers on the bikes when they are boxed. That cuts down the amount of items we have to handle. We thought the empty panniers could have been hung up with the bikes.

We were transferring from the train to an Amtrak connector bus in Canada. My wife is standing by our luggage. The 6 empty panniers are in the bike boxes in the cargo bay of the bus. The contents of my 4 panniers fit in the large duffel bag, and my wife's 2 panniers into the black one. It is almost easier to box the bike for the train in some situations. Amtrak boxes are very large. It takes about 10-15 minutes to take the pedals off, pop the bars and stem loose , roll the bike into the box, and tape it shut.