I'm Google Earthin my *** off,looking for the best twists in Napa area!Locals who can help me out,please report in.I'm driving up with my Bro-InLaw in July.Taking 1 all the way up from LA.Suggeted detour twists along the way would be helpful too!We're staying in Napa proper.
Thanks

 

Okay...I've done this one a couple of times in the past month or so...pretty fun, just watch out for cyclists on the weekends - they're a lot of them!

Also check out this page...it has maps and directions for all our club runs. Quite a few of them are in the Napa/North Bay area.

 

Oakville Grade. Hang onto your butt!

 

Thanks for taking the time to send the pdf!
cheers

 

Do you hook this up with Mount Veeder Road?

 

There is a stretch of Lake Country Highway that lookks pretty frickin ribbony (north of Calistoga).Anyone do this one?

 

skaggs-springs road is an awesome drive!!!!

 

That "ribbony" road goes over Mount St. Helena, it looks better on Google. Although nice and twisty, it is a very traveled road and you will be hard pressed to not be stuck behind someone the whole way.

That PDF is a great drive though! This one is a prettier drive then Mount St. Helena also.

 

Right in the middle of that PDF map, you can see the little town of Angwin, that road through there has some VERY tight turns, 10-15 mph.

Just be careful diving in this whole area, especially tis time of year. I use to work for the local ambulance company and went out there all the time for accidents. As stated, watch out for bicyclist as well as motorcycles, very popular roads for the sports bikes!

 

-thanks for the tips.Here's another possible one: from Napa-Patrick Rd./Redwood Rd/Mount Veeder Rd./Oakville Grade-Napa....maybe?....looks tantalizing.Anyone got poop on this one?

 

-it does'nt look very technical.Maybe I'm lookin' at another skaggs-springs?(sonoma right?)

 

Since you'll be on 1 anyway this is just a minor side trip - but don't miss it.

Immediately after crossing the Golden Gate head over into the National Park on the north side of the bridge, to seaward. After a steep climb - and a GREAT place to take a pic of the car from high above the GG with it in the background, you'll crest the hill and have a drive down towards the lighthouse at Bonita Point on one of the steepest grades I've ever been on!

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=76

Serious twisties and several great places to stop and look-see, of course all the way up 1 there so many....but I found this a GREAT place.

Then from there pick up 1 again and the rest of the way to NAPA is GREAT - 'cept stay away from Saturday mornings when the bikers hit this area HEAVY and fast.....the 1 from GG rec to Point Reyes is more fun than the Dragon as far as I'm concerned.

And if you have time, I'd also suggest a side trip off 1 to Point Reyes lighthouse....not that twisty, but you might see whales from shore (cliff) at the lighthouse...I have.

Lived there and had a Miata (pre MINI days) ... had a Miata equals had a BLAST on these roads.

 

GG Park- I was lusting after these roads a few weeks ago.They were the first lines to catch my attention while google earthing.All I could think was MAN,what a race course that would make!-thanks for the recomends.

 

Great suggestions from Capt. bj!

LOL, that's pretty funny, after reading this I went and looked at Google earth. Take a look at a map and check out Patricks Rd. again. It doesn't connect to the rest of the. It ends at a cemetery, and I do mean ends! With big Iron gates, nowhere to go but back. And the road isn't that great either, pretty much one lane at some points and not taken good car of. It's a road for the high school kids to go late at night and tell stories of flying monkeys and such .

Redwood to Mount Veeder to Dry Creek to Oakville grade is OK though. However if you only have time for one drive through somewhere, stick to the East side of Napa County around the lake with that PDF run.

 

Ok,a new contender for best impersonation of pasta by a road:Fairfax Bolinas Road-off hwy 1....?c'mon...tell me somethin' bad 'bout this one...let me guess...migration route for California caribou....hey naww,there aint none in Cali!haha....wildebeest on road?...sorry I'm loopy

 

Fairfax Bolinas Rd between Hwy 1 and W Ridgecrest Blvd is pretty narrow with no painted center line. Ridgecrest is west of Alpine Lake and you may not see it unless you zoom in on the map. BTW have you tried using Google Maps instead of Google Earth? Most of the roads you've or others have mentioned are available as a "street view".

Oh both Bolinas Fairfax and Ridgecrest have been used in the past for auto print ads and commercials.

First pic is Ridgecrest. Second is looking towards the west to Stinson and Bolinas from Ridgecrest.

 

Great, and fun, info. Napa is on my list of places to go now that I have the "go" to get there.

 

Thanks for info Drewster

 

Sears Point, but watch turn 7 - it's a b***h if you come out of the carousel too fast.

Seriously, Skaggs-Springs is loads of fun, but like others said, bikes galore.

 

Pashnit is a great website for California roads. He's a motorcyclist, but us bikers like the same twisties you Mini drivers do. You can check out some of the sample pages for free.

The photos, detailed descriptions, maps, did I mention awesome photography ? make it worth the small fee he charges. Even if you don't pay, you can still see the listing of the roads in the area. One of my favorite sites!

 

WOW!

What a great site, THANK YOU for sharing!!!

 

I just found that site earlier this morning,while going thru an old"best roads "thread,Saw your posts and the pashnet links from CFMINI.-cool site,thanks

 

This is'nt a Napa route but,has anyone done Gibraltar Road above Santa Barbara?It looks awesome.I'm trying to knit our southern route together.I'll leave Las Vegas early,then meet my brother in law in Bakersfield or Santa Barbara area.From there a night stay in Cayucos,on Morro Bay.Fom there to Napa.(I'm tempted to do Angeles Crest as the 1st salvo of a twist filled Battle Royal!!)

 

I went to college in Santa Barbara and used to drive that in my Datsun 240Z. Last time I did it, tons of bikes. Pretty steep too, if I recall. It actually reminds me of some of the feeder highways to Lake Tahoe, like Mount Rose and Kingsbury. Fun, but probably not on a weekend.

I'm driving back up to Napa for the third time in a month next week - good to have some of this info!

 

For those of you visiting Napa, do your self a huge favor and visit BLEAUX MAGNOLIA for lunch. You will get a hundred great recommendations of places to eat in Napa, they're everywhere, but you won't find any flavors like this place. I go into Napa every other week or so and I can't leave without eating there. Casual dress, t-**** and jeans is perfect!

Heck, let me know when you'll be there and I might even stop by and join you, lol. Actually, I might need to take a drive now that I'm talking about it, gotta go....

Oh, and Sunday brunch has live music, I haven't made it to that yet as I work the weekends, but I hear it is great too!