Distance:  28 miles out and back
Elevation gain: 2150 ft

There’s a whole genre of literature that testifies to Man’s need to make for the sea occasionally.  Amen to that.  Especially on a bike.  Not ride along the sea—head straight for it.  Here’s a ride that does that in classic fashion.

This is not a life-changing ride.  You won’t be able to brag to your friends that you bagged it.  It’s just a lovely rolling ride to the beach, with a Sixties throw-back beach community straight out of a Gidget movie, and, some say, the best burger in California, at the end of the road.   It’s all gentle up and down, with one hill in the middle that’s a bit more than that.  The scenery is perfect coastal hill-and-dale, as you ride up a creek drainage, sometimes in the gnarly riparian oaks and sometimes in the grassy hills above them.  The road surface is a bit rough about 1/3 of the time, but nothing to spoil the mood.   Not a “big” ride but a jewel.

Word has it that Jalama is scheduled for resurfacing soon (written on 5/17), so a) the surface problems may be a thing of the past, and b) you may run into road work.

(To see an interactive version of the map/elevation profile, click on the ride name, upper left, wait for the new map to load, then click on the “full screen” icon, upper right.)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37934322

Park at the intersection of Jalama Rd. and Hwy 1.  There’s a large dirt parking lot a stone’s throw up Jalama.  Ride to the ocean.  About 4 miles in you’ll start a pretty serious 1-mile climb, summit, then do a pretty serious descent.  Everything else just rolls up and down peacefully.

Sometimes you’re above the riparian woods

About a mile from the end, you summit a small hill, and suddenly the ocean and coastline are all before you (see photo below).  The road drops steeply away in front of you, and it’s a big, fast 10% esse curve plummit to the beach.  Now kick back.  Adopt the relaxed vibe.  Say to someone, “That ho-dad grommet really ate it when he tried to hang ten in the curl.” Grab a world-famous Jalama burger at the Jalama Beach Store.  It’s been made from the same secret recipe by the same family since the 1970’s—local legend has it that Ray Kroc was a huge fan and regular customer.

I think there is a fee to use the County Park there, but if you tell the ranger you aren’t staying he’ll let you pass.

Sometimes you’re in the trees

The ride back is the same in reverse.  The big hill is a mite bigger in this direction, and the descent down the back side is good for 40 mph if you can handle the moderate road chatter.

Shortening the ride: It hardly needs shortening, but if you’re determined, drive down Jalama as far as you need to to make sure you get to the ocean.

Adding miles: You’re a short ride up Hwy 1 from Santa Rosa Rd. (not to be confused with Santa Rosa Creek Rd. also in our list) and the other riding in the Solvang area discussed in the Adding Miles section of the Mt. Figueroa ride.

First view of the ocean