Looking for a sick biking adventure this summer? Try the California Coastal Trail. It’s actually possible to ride the entire length of the Cali Coast by linking up various roads and trails throughout the state, using the CCT network. Depending on the bike you ride, or how much of the coast you wish to travel, you might be inland for some mileage, or you might be within 50 yards of the ocean. Regardless of the tool or route you choose, the CCT is an amazing system of trails, has a little something for everyone, and it can for surely be the cherry on top of any trip to the coast.
While recently traveling the North Coast in search of surf, Jillian and I randomly came across a section of the CCT and were blown away by the surreal ocean backdrop, sweet singletrack, and easy access trailhead(s). We had ridden a section of the CCT some time ago near Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon, at the northern end of Humboldt County, but this time we were scoping out a seldom surfed break off Enderts Beach Road when we came across the “Last Chance” section of the trail. There’s a bunch of spots where the trail morphs into a doubletrack, but the singletrack sections are worthy and abundant throughout the CCT. Not so much for technical riding, but more so for where the trail takes you and the breathtaking scenery along the way.
While we didn’t go too deep on our ride, this section of the CCT is amazing, and the stoke was high thinking about the many possibilities that exist with the CCT. The Last Chance Trail section goes right through Redwood National Park and makes for some of the most diverse forest/ocean scenery imaginable from a bike. All of the shots in this piece are from our ride.
Imagine riding alongside the ocean for numerous miles, only to peel off to a secluded camp spot in Redwood National Park, only accessible by bike or foot, and camping for the night.
The CCT is still a work in progress and has yet to be fully completed. Some sections of the CCT are better suited for mountain bikes, while some may opt for the paved portions of the route to increase the availability to go for longer distance rides. Others choose to travel the trail by foot. Whatever’s your pleasure, if you’re heading to the coast at all this summer and like to bike, or want to go for a sweet hike, think about hitting up the CCT. It may not be the most technical riding for the singletrack-techy lovers out there, but the scenery and secluded spots it will take you will more than make up for it in the end.
