View of Golden Gate Bridge from Lincoln Park Golf Course
Golden Gate Bridge from Conzelman Road, Marin County
- Take Hwy 9 through Los Gatos, Saratoga, and climb up into the Santa Cruz Mountains.
- Turn right on Skyline Blvd. Follow Skyline along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains as it passes by many open space parks.
- Where Skyline ends at Hwy 92, either turn left and take Hwy 1 up the coast or turn right and take Skyline Blvd. down towards Crystal Springs Reservoir. Turn left at the reservoir and follow Skyline north along Crystal Springs Reservoir and the Crystal Springs Golf Course.
- At the golf course, the road jogs inland of Hwy 280. It parallels Hwy 280 and sometimes requires driving on 280 for short distances.
- Skyline (Hwy 35) finally breaks away from 280, and follows San Andreas Reservoir. Take it all the way to Daly City, where it joins up with Hwy 1 coming in from the coast. Continue on Skyline Blvd into San Francisco.
- Note: my secret scenic shortcut through San Francisco involves going up Hwy 280, exiting at the Pacifica exit in Daly City and taking Skyline Blvd. north, following the directions below.
- At Fort Funstion and Lake Merced, turn left onto the Great Highway. Follow the Great Highway along the coast past the San Francisco Zoo and the end of Golden Gate Park.
- Follow the road as it turns inland past the Cliff House and becomes Point Lobos Avenue.
- Point Lobos turns into Geary Blvd.
- Turn left on 34th Avenue into Lincoln Park, where the road becomes the Legion of Honor Drive.
- Past the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, turn right onto Camino Del Mar. The view along this stretch is spectacular, so stop and look.
- Camino Del Mar runs through the wealthy Seacliff district, then becomes Lincoln Blvd.
- Follow Lincoln Blvd through the Presidio, past Baker Beach. (Baker Beach is worth a side trip, but it can get crowded on warm, sunny days.) The road goes under the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Turn left immediately after going under the bridge approach, get onto Hwy 101, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Take the Sausalito exit. In Sausalito, follow surface streets along the Sausalito waterfront until you get to the Hwy 1 turnoff.
- Take Hwy 1 past Muir Woods to the coast (this is a really scenic route, but you better not be in a hurry).
- Follow Hwy 1 past Muir Beach, Mt. Tamalpais, Stinson Beach, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bolinas, Olema, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, and the Sonoma Coast State Beaches. (Any of these places are primary destinations worthy of exploration.)
- Cross the Russian River near Jenner and turn right onto Hwy 116. (You can continue up Hwy 1 a short distance to see Fort Ross State Historic Park or even farther to Salt Point State Park and Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve.)
- Follow Hwy 116 east along the Russian River past the little river towns like Duncan Mills, Monte Rio, and Guerneville. At Guerneville, you can make a side trip to see the giant redwoods at Armstrong Redwoods State Park.
- At Guerneville, you can continue to follow the Russian up River Road to Westside Road to Healdsburg or take Hwy 116 south to Sebastopol.
- For this route, continue on River Road, which cuts away from the Russian River at Mirabel and heads east to cross Hwy 101.
- After crossing 101, the road becomes Mark West Springs Road, then Porter Creek Road.
- After the intersection with Calistoga Road, turn left onto Petrified Forest Road, which passes the Petrified Forest (worth a visit).
- The road ends at Hwy 128. You can take 128 north a short distance, then turn right on Tubbs Lane to see the Old Faithful Geyser. Continuing north to Hwy 29 would take you to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.
- Heading south on Hwy 128 takes you through Calistoga, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, and St. Helena.
- Hwy 128 turns into Hwy 29. Continue on Hwy 29 south past many wineries to the city of Napa.
- To return, take Hwy 29 south to Vallejo, cross the Carquinez Bridge on I-80.
- Take I-80 south and get off on San Pablo Avenue in San Pablo.
- Follow San Pablo to Appian Way. Follow Appian Way south.
- Turn left on San Pablo Dam Road. This passes San Pablo Reservoir and becomes Camino Pablo, then Moraga Way.
- Turn right on Canyon Road, then left on Pinehurst Road, then left on Redwood Road, which leads past Upper San Leandro Reservoir into Hayward.
- Take 238 to Hwy 84. Take Hwy 84 across the Dumbarton Bridge back to Silicon Valley.