Palo Alto, CA: Cañada Road

Palo Alto, CA: Cañada Road

Cruise alongside the calm waters of Crystal Springs Reservoir on Cañada Road, a Bay Area cycling treasure that’s closed to cars on Sundays.

Author:	Stanford Cycling Club
Date:	13 Feb 2008 12:14:31 PM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	California (CA)
Distance:	33.44 mi (Change units)
Elevation:	Total Gain: 2125 ft Total Loss: 2125 ft Net Change: 0 ft
Difficulty:	6 / 10
Tags:	California, Redwood City, Cañada Road, Crystal Springs Reservoir, Palo Alto
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

Rolling out on a two-up bike lane on Sandhill Road, this route crosses I-280 to cruise on tree-lined roads with minimal traffic. After emerging from shady Manzanita Way, embark on a 14-mile out-and-back stretch on Cañada Road. The shoulders are wide on Cañada Road, but the road is especially bike-friendly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays -- it’s closed to auto traffic. This stretch past the Crystal Springs Reservoir is perfect for working in a paceline. On the return, head south to loop through Portola Valley's verdant hills. This route is a favorite of the Stanford University Cycling team.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Dist: 33.44 mi	Points: 353	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.00 mi	Straight	Start heading southwest on Sandhill Rd.	Then go 4.95 mi
4.95 mi	Turn Right	Manzanita Way	Then go 1.27 mi
6.22 mi	Turn Right	Mountain Home Rd.	Then go 0.39 mi
6.61 mi	Straight	Cross intersection onto Cañada Rd.	Then go 7.37 mi
13.98 mi	U-Turn	Turn around on Cañada Road	Then go 7.40 mi
21.38 mi	Bear Left	Woodside Rd./Rt. 84	Then go 0.26 mi
21.64 mi	Turn Right	Whiskey Hill Rd.	Then go 1.41 mi
23.05 mi	Turn Right	Sand Hill Rd.	Then go 0.81 mi
23.86 mi	Straight	Portola Rd.	Then go 3.39 mi
27.25 mi	Turn Left	Alpine Rd.	Then go 4.27 mi
31.52 mi	Turn Left	Santa Cruz Ave./Junipero Serra Blvd.	Then go 0.07 mi
31.59 mi	Turn Right	Sand Hill Rd.	Then go 1.85 mi
33.44 mi	Stop

Points of Interest

The Stanford Oval

Location: 37.429956°, -122.167797°
A great spot to watch the 2008 Tour of California Prologue

The Alpine Inn

Location: 37.382741°, -122.193332°
In the mood for a hearty snack? The Alpine Inn makes a tasty burger.

Cut it short

Location: 37.412301°, -122.240925°
For a shorter ride (28 miles), turn left on Sand Hill Rd. and return to the start.

Manzanita Way

Location: 37.416050°, -122.244358°
Manzanita Way

The Woodside Bakery

Location: 37.430433°, -122.257233°

Cañada Road

Location: 37.479762°, -122.311134°

Crystal Spring Reservoir

Location: 37.502236°, -122.335854°
The North American and Pacific Plates meet below Crystal Spring Reservoir. Much of the Bay Area's water supply is stored here.

Cañada Road

Location: 37.506424°, -122.341132°
On Sundays, cyclists have Cañada Road all to themselves from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exceptions: holidays and foul-weather days. Closed to cars on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.