BBTXL > Bay Area Bicycle Transit Time, XL
Who: Planned by dirt, joined by 8 other transit nerd BBTXLers
What: A multi-day ride on trains, ferries, and bikes around
the Bay Area and beyond. A mix of urban and rural routes. Lots
of bridges and levees. Some hills. A few bits of (hopefully)
well maintained gravel.
When: Monday, May 1 - Friday, May 5 2023
Where: Stay in Oakland (Temescal, near MacArthur BART station)
and train/ferry/ride out daily.
Day 1: Lafayette BART - Martinez - Crockett - Richmond - Bay Trail
- Train: 9:47 Rockridge BART -> 10:00am Lafayette BART ($3.00)
- Highlights (@mile)
- 1.0 A very steep but short climb
- 9.5 John Muir Historic Site (mostly closed this early)
- 1.2 States Coffee Martinez - coffee, pastries, bread and toast
- 11.8-15.5 Carquinez Strait trail (closed to cars)
- 17.2 Port Costa (things will be closed, might be a coffee cart open)
- 20.1 C&H Sugar Mill
- 20.5 First lunch: Hot dogs and beer at Toots tavern; Donuts, bubble tea, and coffee at JK Cafe
- 23.0 Phillips 66 San Francisco refinery
- 24.0-27.6 Bay Trail
- 31.3-33.2 Point Pinole
- 38.5 Second lunch: Beer and food in Richmond
- 39.0 Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park (sadly the food hall is closed on Mondays)
- 39.2-47.7 Bay Trail
- 45.6 Seabreeze cafe - ice cream, coffee, food
- 49.0 Optional out&back on the Bay Bridge
- And back to the beginning!
Day 2: Larkspur Ferry - Cross Marin Trail - Petaluma - SMART - Richmond Bridge - BART
- Train: leave ~7:45am, 8:01am MacArthur BART -> 8:18am Embarcadero BART
- Ferry: 8:35am Golden Gate ferry (Gate C) -> 9:05 Larkspur
- Highlights (@mile)
- Corte Madera Creek Trail
- Downtown San Anselmo (coffee if needed)
- 4.6 Yoda statue
- Downtown Fairfax (more coffee options)
- Old Railroad Grade fire road (rougher gravel)
- San Geronimo Valley Drive
- 12.3 Woodacre Country Market & Deli
- The town of Lagunitas
- 14.7 Pump Espresso Bar
- 15.6 Lagunitas Grocery & Deli
- Cross Marin Trail (gravel) / Samuel P Taylor SP / Redwoods
- Nicasio Reservoir
- 30.5 Marin French Cheese Company (cheese, food, coffee, beer, ice cream)
- 43.0 Downtown Petaluma (food, coffee, beer, ice cream)
- Train: Petaluma SMART -> Larkspur SMART
- Ride ~11 miles from Larkspur SMART to Richmond BART over the bridge
- Train: Richmond BART - MacArthur BART
Day 3: Contra Costa Center BART - Iron Horse - Palomares Rd - Niles - Dumbarton Bridge - Palo Alto CalTrain
- Train: Rockridge BART -> ContraCosta Center BART
- Highlights (@mile)
- 0.0-12.7 Iron Horse Trail
- Norris Canyon Road (rural, climb, descent)
- 21.7 Castro Valley (some strip mall places to stop for coffee, food, bathrooms)
- Palomares Road (rural, climb, descent)
- 35.9 Downtown Niles (food, coffee, beer, ice cream)
- Alameda Creek trail (some gravel)
- Bay Levees (some gravel)
- Dumbarton Bridge
- 59.0 Downtown Palo Alto (food, coffee, beer, ice cream)
- Train: Palo Alto Caltrain -> SF
- Bike: ~2 miles along the Embarcadero
- Train: Embarcadero BART -> Oakland
Day 4: Marin - Headlands - City
- Train: MacArthur BART -> Embarcadero BART
- Ferry: Golden Gate ferry -> Tiburon
- Highlights (@mile)
- 13.8 Bay Model (free)
- 17.0 Hawk Hill
- 21.4 Point Bonita lighthouse (a short walk)
- 23.3 Rodeo Beach
- 27.4 Golden Gate Bridge
- 33.0 Lands End / Sutro Baths
- 34.0 Ocean Beach
- Lunch: 34.6 Java Beach Cafe
- Golden Gate Park
- Panhandle
- 40.0 Wiggle
- 41.9 Southern Pacific Brewing
- 44.0 Mission Bay
- Train: Powell BART back to MacArthur
Day 5: Amtrak Capitol Corridor - Delta Levees - Antioch BART
- Train: Amtrak Capitol Corridor Emeryville -> Sacramento
- Highlights (@mile)
- 0.0 Sacramento: California State Railroad Museum, Old Town
- 17.0 Clarksburg: Husick's Taphouse, Old Sugar Mill Wineries, Dinky Diner
- 33.0 Lunch option Walnut Grove: Mel's Mocha & Ice Cream, Fat Lou's Cafe (Mexican), other restaurants/gas stations
- 36.0 Model airplane airport (might be people flying there, usually weekends though)
- 42.2 Lunch option Isleton: Mei Wah Beer Room (opens 4pm), The McBoodery Sandwich Shop, other restaurants/gas stations
- 51.5 Optional shortcut, chopping off ~8 miles
- 64.0 Antioch Bridge
- Train: Antioch BART -> Rockridge BART