Napa to the Shores of Lake Berryessa

0 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Touring

Stop at Turtle Rock at Lake Berryessa for great egg rolls--hand made there on site. If you decide to travel the Knoxville Road to Clear Lake be aware that there is nothing but nothing on this road --make sure you have gas, snacks and water. The road is also not particularly smooth so it's not to be ridden at a fast pace. DO NOT ride this road until very late in the spring --the small creeks run over the road and create very mossy, extremely slippery spots that can easily take you down.Hwy 128 also connects to Winters so it's easily accessible from the Sacramento area. Check out the Putah Creek Cafe or Cody's for lunch or the Buckhorn for dinner. We ride up from Winters on 128, have egg rolls at Turtle Rock and then continue on 128 over towards Calistoga to Buster's BBQ --great, fingerlickin' food --then we head back home on 121/128. Take your time, watch out for potholes and idiots in cars --especially around the lake in the summer --this is a fun road but we have seen some pretty horrible bike accidents because the bikers were taking the turns faster than they should for their level of experience.

0 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring

The road leading up to the lake is well-paved, with some awesome tight corners. I went early so as not to hit traffic. I ended up going all the way to Clear Lake. The road quality degrades severely (floods during rain season and potholes created from frost in winter) after Lake Berryessa. Also, be sure to keep tabs on your gas, as I didn't see a place to fill up between the south end of Lake Berryessa and Lower Lake.

0 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring

This is a very cool area to ride. US 128 and 121 are both fun roads to ride with lots of twists and turns. I just got back from riding Berryesa-Knoxville Rd for the first time. From the 128 turn off at Turtle Rock Cafe to where you cross Lake Berryesa, the road is very good and the views are great. Things deteriorate quickly once you leave the lake. The road is in terrible shape for about 15-20 miles. It felt more like off roading at times as plodded along dodging potholes that were lurking in the shadows and were hard to see. My wife and I agreed that this ride was a "one and done" for us.

Next time I will stay on 128. Loop through the Pope Valley area. This ends up looping back to 128, but the road is much better and you can drive the twisties at speed.