To set off on this 800 mile bike trip from Portland to San Francisco you have to be a bit mad, maybe crazy but probably just want to see the world on two wheels. It is an awesome adventure with a variety of topography: coastal ranges, ocean views, beaches, redwoods, rivers, open fields and marshes. I did the trip in June 3-19, 2026. It took a little over two weeks. From San Francisco you can reserve a seat in coach, reserve a spot for you bike ($20) and take the Amtrak Coast Starlight to Portland. You can get a hotel for the first night and follow the route outlined on https://www.bestcoastbiking.com/portland-to-san-francisco. Some of the details of this route are getting out of date (there are no saunas in any of the campgrounds, there is water in all) but the pace was good for me. It was a great tool.
It does seem like at any given time during the summer months there are at least fifty other people riding along the coast. Most of these riders had the exact same idea as you and ride solo. Some are in groups of two or four. The riders are from all over the world with many Europeans. I met a fellow from New Zealand. I ran into some very cool people along the way and made some new friends. Bicycling from Portland to San Francisco is a great way to see a beautiful part of the country.
Some people ride sixty miles a day, there were others that rode over a hundred. Some take their time and do twenty miles a day and explore the rural towns and sights. I met people from 18 to 70 years of age. Fifteen miles before Crescent City along the road I rode by a run down house in the country. The front door was painted red, white and blue with a message “FU*K JOE BIDEN” and a pretty good mural of a hand giving you the middle finger. Not sure what the guy had against Joe and was perhaps one of the few signs of this ilk I saw during this ride. I rode on.
At Crescent City – the half way point, I had a great meal at a local pub. That night I got a motel in Crescent City (Front Street Inn). and woke up the next day and did my laundry. You can take the local 3:00 pm bus to Klamath as suggested in my guide and bike to the lovely Elk Prairie Campground in the redwoods. I had the hike-bike spot campsite to myself. The bird songs were incredible and many.
Bicycling from Portland to San Francisco you can stay in the hike-bike spots in state and regional campgrounds. No need to make a reservation as these are overflow, drop-in spots. Often the spots are at the edge of campgrounds and so in many ways nice and private. Other times they are close to the gate and showers. In Oregon many had modern charging stations, lockers and bike tool stands. The price for the night varied from $5-10. In California they vary a lot – make sure you have plenty of quarters for the showers. Always be aware of the raccoons and blue jays as they want your food. In one campground I spied at Blue Jay poking holes in a package of dehydrated chicken fettuccini. She obviously can read as the other option was beef stroganoff. Gualala Regional Park was full of racoons, blue jays and even barred owls.
Throughout the ride there is very little cell service. This was very refreshing and the only way to keep your phone functioning and battery not draining was to keep it in “airplane mode.”
Unlike the Midwest and East, along the West Coast there are few diners or breakfast spots and morning food options are limited. Most of the time I made oatmeal and coffee in camp. On the road the option was often a drive-through coffee spot with a greasy microwave breakfast sandwich. These kiosks pop up even in rural areas. Evidently, on the West Coast people do not sit around diners and talk about the weather.
For lunch there are plenty of options. There are many amazing places that make delicious sandwiches and burgers, sometimes with homemade bread. Stewarts Point Store was amazing. Pizza is often an excellent option. Of course there are Mexican and Chinese options along the way as well.
While I thought I would have tailwinds for this trip, due to the rain storms for many days the winds came moderately out the south. I did take a much needed rest day along the Eel River. It was eighty degrees and I had the place to myself. Delicious! The last day was a long ride from Bodega Dunes Park to San Francisco. About eighty-five miles later I was back in the city by the bay.
If you are considering this trip, I would just say that it is an awesome adventure and I highly recommend it. Not for the those would cannot deal with adversity as you will be going over the coast range and that is always about a 2000 vertical foot climb. Also Highway 1 in Sonoma and Marin Counties can be a bit dicey with no shoulder and cars. Lincoln City in Oregon is a bit busy with cars and RVs. But the views are stupendous. The Nestucca River. Southern Oregon south of Port Orford is amazing. The redwoods and north section of Highway 1 are breathtaking. The cliffs around Jenner are sublime.
A big shout out to the “Fearless Four.” You know who you are. Until we meet again.
