488 mi · 17,400 ft of climbing · high point 8,615 ft · start/finish downtown Napa (First St & Main St)
Ridden May 26–27, 2026 · Eastern Sierra & Nevada
The ride
This is our two-day loop. Day one leaves Napa on CA-12 past Suisun City and Rio Vista and across the Delta, then the back roads east of Lodi (Peltier Road) to CA-88. From there 88 climbs steadily through Amador County, past Pine Grove and Pioneer.
Up top, CA-88 runs through Kirkwood and over Carson Pass, then drops down the east side to Woodfords. Woodfords Road takes you into Nevada, and US-395 runs south through the Carson Valley past Gardnerville, Double Spring and Topaz, back into California through Coleville to Walker in Mono County. The route's high point is about 8,615 ft, around Carson Pass.
Day two comes back the same way, north on 395 and over Carson Pass on 88, then down through Pioneer, Sutter Creek and Jackson Road to Rancho Murieta and Sacramento, with Twin Cities Road and Walnut Grove bringing you back to CA-12 and Napa. It's about 488 mi and ~17,400 ft of climbing over two days. Fuel up in Pioneer or Jackson: from there over Carson Pass to the Carson Valley it's about 60 mi with only Kirkwood in between. Carson Pass is plowed but gets chain controls and storm closures in winter, so check Caltrans first.
[Steve: add your full write-up here]
Key roads and highlights
CA-12 past Suisun City and Rio Vista
Peltier Road east of Lodi
CA-88 through Pine Grove and Pioneer
Kirkwood
Carson Pass, high point ~8,615 ft
Woodfords Road
US-395 through the Carson Valley (Gardnerville, Double Spring, Topaz)
Coleville and Walker
Return via CA-88, Sutter Creek, Jackson Road
Twin Cities Road, Walnut Grove, CA-12 home
Gallery
Ride photos coming soon
Not starting in Napa? No problem. Every Two Wheel Touring GPX is a loop that begins and ends at First & Main in downtown Napa, but you don't have to. Join the line wherever it's closest to you, ride any section you like, or flip the whole thing and run it the other way. For step-by-step help in Garmin, REVER, Calimoto, Scenic, Google My Maps, and a free GPX editor, see Riding a route from your own start.
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