I don’t even remember how I found this ride but I’m glad I did. It’s a long drive from most anywhere you’d ever be. We are in Coarsegold, CA and it was about 40 min to where we started our ride. Instead of driving all the way out to the start of Million Dollar Road, we started high above Redinger Lake and rode to the start of the road. Our ride was 24 miles with 2400′ of climbing.
Million Dollar Road is not the same as Million Dollar Highway…that one is in Colorado and we’ve driven that. Constructed during 1922 as part of Big Creek Project Phase 2, Million Dollar Road connects Big Creek Powerhouse #3 northward up the San Joaquin River Canyon to Big Creek Powerhouse #8. The name “Million Dollar Road” is said to be a reference to the cost of the roadway per mile when it was constructed during 1922. Given the amount of blasting that would have been required to make Million Dollar Road possible the reference is likely accurate!
The first part of our ride was a descent to Redinger Lake and along the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. This road is narrow, rough and windy…perfect for our gravel bikes. After crossing the bridge and continuing on Italian Bar Road we started to climb. It’s a pleasant enough climb, not very long or steep and after about 6 miles of riding we came to Million Dollar Road. There’s a big gate you have to lift your bike over but it’s no big deal. The road is closed to cars except the occasional official maintenance vehicle. We did encounter a handful of hikers even on the weekday we were there.
This section is a narrow mostly one lane paved road with a giant cliff towering above one side and a plunging drop down to the river on the other side. It’s quite dramatic. Our goal was Stevenson Falls. It’s enormous and extremely impressive. After taking in the view and snapping a million pictures (see what I did there?), we continued on down the road. It seems to go forever and even passes a few other waterfalls. Turn around when you want, or continue on and make a bigger loop with backroads. We turned around. Bad news, this ride ends on a climb back to where we parked and it was in the mid 80’s. HOT!
On our way back to camp we stopped at the geographic center of California! The things we come across.
Such cool, dramatic pictures. I like the ones with you in them. Yes, the things you come across!