Twisty Road - Next 140 miles!!! (California Route 36) | California Motorcycle Roads and Rides

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Twisty Road - Next 140 miles!!! (California Route 36)

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 26 visitors

State: California
Date Submitted: August 1, 2007
Submitted by: myspace.com/lade1721
Motorcycle Road Length: 140 Miles Miles

Written Directions

start in REDBLUFF , CA . hwy 36 , going WEST ,towards FORTUNA ,CA . there will be no mistake you are on the right road when you see the twisty road sign that has " next 140 miles " under the arrow . stay on highway 36 until it ends in FORTUNA , CA . ENJOY AND BE SAFE !!! LITTLE OR NO CELL RECEPTION !!!.

Scenery

some pretty decent view's from higher elevations , also goes through the redwood forest ... but you won't have much time to take your eyes off the twisties anyway!!!

Road Quality

most likely the craziest elevation changes you will ever see (in the eastern portion from red bluff ,CA ) . truly resembles a rollercoaster in spots . this road is 140 miles of twisty heaven ,I'm not kidding !! very good road surface ,though it does get a little rough in spots farther west, and the center line briefly disappears for a few miles farther west . lots of places with out guardrails ,and long drops ,so be careful!!! every road will seem very trivial after you ride this. this 140 miles will take around 4 hours to do.

Note: BE SAFE BE SAFE BE SAFE !!!! most roads we travel don't do anything too "weird" . this is the exception .this road ( mainly on the eastern portion ,first 20 or so miles ) will have you going up a hill , making a right at the top ,and before you can even see over the crest , as your still turning right ,the road goes left .serious. after the rollercoaster road has smoothed out, its somewhat readable from there on ,but NEVER predictable !!! i have some pictures on my myspace page ,will try and get some up here too :-)

The perfect road !!! this is just a very small sample very nice turns

Roadside Amenities

i seem to remember only 2 gas stations ( neither have super fill waaay up in red bluff ) and maybe 3 spots for food . not much out there but crazy fun !!! Another view along the amazing Rt 36

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
- Eureka is one of the biggest casino towns in all of California (ranks number 5) although a lot of people today play online slot machines.

Nickname (optional) myspace.com/lade1721

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Reviewed by Guest on June 3, 2010 (3 out of 3 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Frazer M.
motorcycle_make: OTHER
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Just completed Red Bluff to Fortuna on route 36. Unbelievable! Here in the UK we have some twisties but none that go on for 140 miles through spectacular scenery on roads that no one else seems to use! Rode "two up" on a 2006 Harley Softail Heritage which was good for the first 70 miles but very limited thereafter. Asked several people in Red Bluff if there was fuel on the way but no one knew. Why? Because no one used the road. On hearing that, I brimmed the bike with premium, rode past the sign "twisties next 140 miles", held my breath and hoped for the best as the Harley was good on the straights for 130'ish miles from a tank. The first 40 odd miles are sweeping curves on glorious tarmac with supreme contours in the road. Through ranching country towards the snow-capped hills, after 48 miles there is Plantina. One store with one gas pump selling regular. Filled up, had a coffee and a chat with the lady who must see very few people in her daily routine and headed on, safe in the knowledge that I would reach Fortuna. I could relax, but not too much as the corners and views on the middle section are equally spectacular and can take you by surprise. Stop as much as you can cause you wont see this scenery every day! The road surfaces in the middle section are sometimes very rough with rockfalls and gravel to contend with but once through that, the last third of this road mirrors the first section with more sweeping bends allowing you to plan two and three corners in advance. I cant do justice to this road. I ride the TT course on the Isle of Man every year and that takes my breath away but the length, the road quality, the scenery, the cambers the sheer emptiness of both the road and the countryside is amazing. I went from Red Bluff to Fortuna and never came across another vehicle going westbound. I was riding for periods of 15 to 20 minutes without seeing another vehicle. Amazing! One regret, Harleys are the wrong bike for this road. I ride an Aprilia RSV R which would be good but could I stand after 140 miles of route 36? At my age I doubt it. Best bike in my opinion, any "sit-up" V-twin (Aprilia Tuono, Ducati Monster or Streetfighter) with good ground clearance. The engine does the braking leaving you off the brake lever able to look at the spectacular road that is coming at you at great speed. Do this road and every other one will fade into mediocrity. Frazzamacca, UK.
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Reviewed by Guest on March 13, 2011 (2 out of 2 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Chris
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: Just got back from Hwy36. I ride about 35000-40000 miles a year and Hwy 36 was probably the best CA road I have ridden. Lost some metal on the floor boards and sow some great sites. One caution, west side of road has about 5 miles of no lines, guard rails, and very narrow. Add that to the speeding locals and watch out. If you ride, ride 36.
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Reviewed by Guest on March 24, 2011 (1 out of 1 members found this review useful.)
Creator: justin
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: I've done 20K miles in Southern CA and this was the best stretch. I always tell anyone looking for an epic ride. Suggest mounting a video camera to your handlebars to capture the roller coaster moments. The twisties are the most 3-dimensional sensation you can find. 140 miles is around the limit for most bikes on fuel mileage so make sure you top it off before you enter. I rode west to east and came into Red Bluff on fumes...really thought I would be stopping at a farm house to beg. Very few fuel options along the stretch so stop where you can. Gotta try it!
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Reviewed by DeDe on January 25, 2012 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: DeDe
motorcycle_year: 2011
motorcycle_make: Softail Heritage
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: I had the privilege to be able to ride this road twice during the summer of 2011. The first time was in June as part of a solo ride. Starting from Red Bluff, in the pouring rain, the first 20 miles or so was an absolute blast twisting through the grassy foot hills. Once I started up the mountain it was a bit scary - rock slides, pavement slips and a low cloud sealing made visibility less than optimal. The single track section had several heaves and slips that apparently happened that morning from the large amount of rain. I wondered several times that day what possessed me to attempt this road alone in a storm on a cruiser. Not to mention Cal-Trans was working on some bridges and running huge dump trucks pulling trailers (they take more than their share of the road- it was close). With road construction and one 30min. pit stop it took me about 4 � to get into Fortuna - I made it and now had serious bragging rights lol. So when my old man and I returned to CA in August I just had to ride the road again. This time it was a very warm sunny day; Cal-trans had done an excellent job of repairing most of the road and were working on widening the single track section. We made Fortuna in just over three hours with lots of picture stops and road construction. There are many technical roads out there; however, Hwy 36 is definitely the longest technical road I've ever found.
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Reviewed by Guest on April 2, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Ron
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Best road overall on the West Coast in my opinion.
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Reviewed by Guest on January 27, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Chris
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Awesome road... Crazy twisties... Only down side, no fuel... Fill up in Red Bluff.... There is a single gas pump in Platina, however it's way over priced and it's regular. Be careful when in high elevation as there is no guard rails to prevent a long fall! A must ride... and I'm serious when I say crazy twiesties.... Have fun!
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Reviewed by Guest on January 9, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: thatcharlyguy
motorcycle_year: 2002
motorcycle_make: BMW
motorcycle_type: Enduro
Comment: has anyone done this ride in late January? I'll be in San Fran then and was hoping to do so but wondering about potential icy road conditions away from the coast? thanks!
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Reviewed by Guest on December 31, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: phil
motorcycle_year: 1988
motorcycle_make: OTHER
motorcycle_type: Other
Comment: Sorry to butt in on your page guys, but I drove this in my 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S, and found this to be the most incredible road that I have ever been over. From the tight 180's to the sweepers to the awe-inspiring chicanes. Unfortunately, I didn't get into boost much, but it was a great ride. I have organized a road trip for summer 2011, and will be travelling Route 36 with 35 other Porsches.
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Reviewed by Guest on December 26, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Gerald kehler
motorcycle_year: 2005
motorcycle_make: BMW
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: I took this road in 2006 as part of a week long trip from SoCal to northern Ca. Being on a BMW R1200RT with full luggage was a challenge to say the least. This road never quits for the full 140 miles. One corner was downhill, first gear and over 180 degrees, turning back on itself. I traveled from East to West starting in Red Bluff. About halfway through there is a very steep downhill where I started coming off the seat and sliding up over the tank! Fortunately I was going slow enough to not get airborne, as it came up abruptly. This is a road to stay alert on and not become over confident. The lighter the bike the more the fun.By the time I got to the coast my arms were sore from turning and working the clutch and throttle. I would love to do it again as I now know more what to expect. If this is not one of the best rated motorcycle roads in the U.S. it is only because it is not well known... and that's good
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Reviewed by Guest on August 30, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Don
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Just got back from California. I agree with all the comments. Best road I have ever riden on. The "next 140 miles" sign sez it all. Road got very dark once we hit the giant redwoods. Every road in New York seems a little easier after this experiance. Awesome!! Watch for logging trucks....
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Reviewed by Guest on May 27, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Pat Law
motorcycle_year: 2002
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: The sides of the tires on my Vmax were sponges by the end of this ride it was awesome. I stopped about 50 miles in for gas (Vmax Of Course). I'm going to ride this again atleast 3 or 4 more times this year. The ultimate ending was riding down Avenue of the Giants. Can it get any better than this? And then on to Highway 1 all the way to Santa Cruz.... If you like to ride these imo are some of the best rides in this country. Texan in California for a while...
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Reviewed by Guest on April 27, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Todd
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: In 2008 I rode this path coming back to Canada from Vegas. Phenominal route, and ended up blowing a rear tire in one of the turns just past Bridgeville. The most memorable part of the trip, besides the fantastic scenery, was the 3 hrs waiting for the tow truck while visiting with some other riders who lived 2 miles from where I broke down. Friendships forged, countries compared, and I learned a lot about Humboldt County! Ride started in dayllight, ended in the dark which made it even more spectacular! Would love to do it again and this time finish it all the way!
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Reviewed by Guest on March 17, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Wally
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Other
Comment: No doubt about it, the #1 windiest road in California. No other road even comes close! Passengers will enjoy the ride, but be prepared for that 'queezy' feeling you get after 4 solid hours of a rollercoaster ride. BE SAFE. Wildlife is abundant, turkeys, deer, elk and bear. Crazy, crazy road. You will never be so happy to make it to the coast and relax after this one. Do head north and do the Avenue of the Giants afterwards. Nothing like that place. May i add a correction? Avenue of the Giants is SOUTH from the point of Hwy 36 intersecting Hwy 101. I live 4 miles from 36 and ride it often
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Reviewed by Guest on February 3, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Tueycal
motorcycle_year: 1998
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Rode this in August of 2009, awesome road. Great way to finish off 3000 mile ride
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Reviewed by Guest on October 19, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Pink
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: I found this road excellent. Watch for deer ... they are everywhere. Regular gas can be found several places near the middle of this ride for those with limited range ....
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Reviewed by Guest on July 25, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Purple Haze
motorcycle_year: 1999
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: I was just riding 36 and hwy 3 today it's a great road but not the best in the area. I live in Redding and ride this area a lot and much prefer hwy 3 from 36 through hayfork on up to Yreka. If you are into some really fast riding try Gazelle (north of Weed) to Cecilville, there is absolutly no traffic (or cops) and the road from Callahan to Cecilville is unbelievable. If you really are adventuresome try the "Forks of the Salmon" loop from Callahan through Cecilville along the south fork of the Salmon then back up the north fork on Sawyers Bar Rd to Etna. I live in motorcycle heaven!
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Reviewed by Guest on July 25, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: tal;kradiobuilder
motorcycle_year: 1981
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Standard
Comment: Kudos on posting 36. From Redding, we have made the coast trip many times on the Hwy, and walk away with a smile every time. Either direction! It's a little nicer to head west early on a summer morning and get to the coast in the cool mid day. Then binge on seafood at the nearest wharf restaurant. It's anywhere from there. Because all is well with the world. Aren't sport bikes the greatest?
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Reviewed by Guest on July 11, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Bill
motorcycle_year: 1989
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: You might watch for logging trucks on this road. The last time I was on it, I met many of them. I live in Magalia, CA.
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Reviewed by Guest on June 18, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Goldie
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: I rode this just a few months ago and had a blast. When he say ride careful heed his warning in some spot there was gravel on the road, But there is nothing but good scenery and open road I think we saw maybe 10 cars and 5 bike on the whole 140 mile run.
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Reviewed by Guest on May 6, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: clemdidem
motorcycle_year: 2002
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: All of the above and more, I remember thinking that for me the entire trip was at about 50 mph and there was not much time to look around because you were constantly lining yourself up with your line through the corner and the Apex . I don't have a sprt bike but I had a blast anyway...I will do it again...watch for animals
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Reviewed by Guest on April 28, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: matthew kohl
Comment: almost all the corners are constant radius the whole trip there are only maybe 3 bad corners. watch for fresh rock slides as some of the steep cliffs drop rocks. About the lack of gas stations. there is one in dinsmore about 98 miles from red bluff and 40 from the 101 but it only has regular. the road has distinct sections with similar corners in each. The sections vary from long sweepers, tight cliff side twists, and riverside meandering fun
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Reviewed by Guest on December 3, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Jethrotulll
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: No doubt about it, the #1 windiest road in California. No other road even comes close! Passengers will enjoy the ride, but be prepared for that 'queezy' feeling you get after 4 solid hours of a rollercoaster ride. BE SAFE. Wildlife is abundant, turkeys, deer, elk and bear. Crazy, crazy road. You will never be so happy to make it to the coast and relax after this one. Do head north and do the Avenue of the Giants afterwards. Nothing like that place.
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Reviewed by Guest on October 7, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Dave
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: A few of us just rode this route this past rainy weekend. For a cruiser it was great fun except when the sun went down and the rains hit, no lights except the cars coming at you and then you loose sight of the road with all of the reflections. Plantina is the first gas out of Red Bluff about 40 miles in. Top off there and you should make it out the other end. Take the 'Avenue of the Giants' after that....awsome
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Reviewed by Guest on September 3, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Trapper
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: My wife and I, along with a small group experienced Hwy 36 in June of 2008. Incredible!! I rode Deal's Gap in 2006. If the "Gap" is referred to as the "Tail of the Dragon", the rest of the beast is Hwy 36!! Most definately a "do-over" road.
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Reviewed by Guest on February 23, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Dave
motorcycle_year: 2003
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: I road this first time two years ago and I agree with the comment, after this every road is easier. I would like the guys who ride Deal's Gap to come out and take this raod for comparrison
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Reviewed by Guest on January 27, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Drlnyork
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: My husband and I rode this highway last year on vacation. He rides a Tour Deluxe and I ride a Roadstar. It was an amazing and very challenging ride. I have never ridden a more challenging road!!!
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