Overall Route Rating
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4.68 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.68
62 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Jul 31, 2007

Rider Reviews

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Guest
June 3, 2010
Just completed Red Bluff to Fortuna on route 36.…
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Guest
July 25, 2009
I was just riding 36 and hwy 3 today it's a great…
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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!!!

Drive Enjoyment

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

Tourism Opportunities

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

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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timac
June 11, 2020
9 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
Note: As of June 2020, Route 36 is closed in 2-3 sections. In two sections, the road is down to 1 lane - 15-25 minute wait. Towards the Western end (approximately 25 miles East of Fortuna) the road is closed completely and only allows passage at 12p and 5p. Plan accordingly. This route is challenging and unforgettable. The 140 miles will take you most of the day due to the "rollercoaster" design in many parts. WARNING: Cross-traffic may drift into your lane on tight curves (and because they're typically driving on 4 wheels). Highlights: • Red Bluff - Cute town at the start of 36 • Mad River - Burger Bar (awesome breakfast/lunch stop) • Dinsmore - Gas/Store (5 miles from complete road closure) • Burr Valley - This is the payoff • Burr Valley - Road has been de-twistied (the reason for road closure). For fun, look on Google Maps of what the road used to look like. Apparently, truckers complained so much they straightened it out. Hidden Gem: At the 36 coastal end-point, there is a little victorian village called Ferndale.
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timac
June 11, 2020
9 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
Note: As of June 2020, Route 36 is closed in 2-3 sections. In two sections, the road is down to 1 lane - 15-25 minute wait. Towards the Western end (approximately 25 miles East of Fortuna) the road is closed completely and only allows passage at 12p and 5p. Plan accordingly. This route is challenging and unforgettable. The 140 miles will take you most of the day due to the "rollercoaster" design in many parts. WARNING: Cross-traffic may drift into your lane on tight curves (and because they're typically driving on 4 wheels). Highlights: • Red Bluff - Cute town at the start of 36 • Mad River - Burger Bar (awesome breakfast/lunch stop) • Dinsmore - Gas/Store (5 miles from complete road closure) • Burr Valley - This is the payoff • Burr Valley - Road has been de-twistied (the reason for road closure). For fun, look on Google Maps of what the road used to look like. Apparently, truckers complained so much they straightened it out. Hidden Gem: At the 36 coastal end-point, there is a little town called Ferndale. This place is
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lyzzabeth
June 29, 2020
83 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
I planned a ride from Orange County based off of the reviews on this site! Ya'll did NOT disappoint me! First off, plan more time than you need for pictures and construction. Second, plan more time for construction and/or check for important updates; such as, the last section of construction limited vehicles to specific times and I ended up rushing just a little to make it thru instead of waiting around for a couple hours. I took this route from Red Bluff after bombing up the 5 the day before. Don't forget to stop and take your pic right away in front of the sign!! After enjoying non stop curves and twisties, I treated myself to riding from Fortuna all the way to Dana Point on the 1/101.
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