Distance: 10.8 miles one way
Elevation gain: 1372 ft

This is a backcountry road that is well-known as an alternative route from Hwy 1 to Occidental (the other two options being Bohemian Highway and Coleman Valley Rd., both in Bestrides). Almost half of it is dirt, and almost half is gated off to cars, so we’re talking some serious solitude here. You’ll probably see some birders at the southwest end and some hikers on the dirt side of both of the gates. Otherwise you should be alone. And that’s the ride’s selling point. The scenery is excellent, but no better than other coastal forest rides. I loved the tranquility of the first 5 miles. After that the climbing started and the ride turned into work—still rewarding, but not peaceful. All the elevation gain (1372 ft) is in one unrelenting 4-mi. climb in the middle. And remember, rocky dirt makes climbing twice as hard as the numbers suggest.

Normally with routes that traverse a single road I plot them as out and backs, and you can certainly do Willow Creek Rd. that way, but because this dirt isn’t an “Ooh I want to do that again” sort of thing and because our ride leaves you just outside Occidental, which is both the top of the lovely Bohemian Highway descent and the beginning of the Coleman Valley Rd. ride, both praised elsewhere in Bestrides, I fully expect you to ride this as part of a loop, Willow Creek > Bohemian Highway > Hwy 116 or Willow Creek > Hwy 1 > Coleman Valley Rd.

With any route with substantial dirt, two questions arise: 1. can you do it on a road bike, and 2. which way should you go, up or down? My answers: 1. I wouldn’t. The first mile of dirt (as I’ve mapped it) is smooth and flat, but the next 4 miles are a constant and substantial climb, and, because weather wears down pitches much more than it does flats, that climb is often rocky, eroded, and jarring. 2. I don’t like rough rocky descents. They kill my hands, my neck, and my spine. I always prefer to climb them at 5 mph instead of bounce down them at 10 mph clutching my brakes with cramping fingers. So I’ve mapped it uphill. Also, riding this way gives you Bohemian Highway as a descent if you’re looping it that way, which is the (vastly) preferable direction. Whichever way you go, as with all dirt, after rain I‘d wait until the trail had dried out before riding.

As with most roads through back country, mapping sites like RWGPS make the area look like a warren of roads, so you might worry that navigation is treacherous. Not so—there is only one noticeable road and it’s impossible to get lost.

Park at the intersection of Willow Creek Rd. (totally unsigned) and Hwy 1 just a few feet south of the Russian River Bridge, right by Jilly’s Real Food Roadhouse (which is quite good, I’m told). You will immediately see a formidable sign reading “Road closed 4 miles ahead—no through traffic to Occidental.” This is great news, because it means you won’t see cars.

The first 4 miles of the route are flat, good-quality pavement oddly interspersed with short stretches of rideable dirt—look carefully at the RWGPS map and you’ll see they got it exactly right. Early in the ride you pass a gigantic, magnificent stand of alders. One can only assume that the name “Alder Creek Road” was already taken. Appreciate these trees—you won’t see alders again on the ride. As you ride among the alders you should see serious people in tweeds and bucket hats staring up into the sky. Those are the birders, who come for the birds, who come for the alders. One birder told me she had seen 49 species of birds by 11 AM—that’s impressive.

Four miles in there’s a large gate preventing car traffic from continuing, so the traffic drops to zero. The next mile is smooth dirt, doable on 25mm tires. Once the climbing starts, it continues for 4 miles. It’s mostly moderate in pitch (I did see a memorable bit of 12-15%, but it’s more like 4-6%), but because it’s rocky and often deeply rivened it’s work. A lot of the scenery is redwood-and-poison-oak—very pretty.

Near the end of the climb you meet a gate like the one earlier. The pavement returns, and after a bit more climbing you do a patchwork-surfaced descent to the T at Coleman Valley Rd. and you decide if and how you want to loop the ride.

Shortening the ride: Ride the first 4 miles and turn around at the gate, or continue for one more mile of easy dirt and turn around at the start of the climb.

Adding miles: See possibilities for loops above.