West Sonoma County & Graton-#2 recommended intermediate ride

Healdsburg, CA, US

Route Overview

Wine Country Bikes

Sonoma, California Bike Tours & Rentals

33 mi.
1,407 ft.

Head down the East side of the Russian River Valley to the old apple country of Western Sonoma County-foothills of the Coastal Range. You'll travel through micro-climates and changing terrain as you ride towards the Pacific Ocean. Even though you're not far from the ocean a significant low/steep mountain range divides this region from the majestic Pacific coast line.We now rent E-BIKES making this ride accessible for all levels to enjoy. Stop for a great lunch in the little town of Graton and maybe a visit to Iron Horse Vineyards or Ektimo Winery, before a beautiful return trip brings you back up the West Side of the valley, past some of the best known boutique wineries in the Russian River Wine Region. This route is part of our popular 5 DAY SONOMA ADVENTURE TOUR which is one of our "Town to Town" cycling tours.

Route Details

West County is a popular thoroughfare for cyclist heading out to the coast. The hills above Graton and Occidental was once home to one of the largest Counterculture Movements in California during the 1960's. Take in a few stellar wineries and enjoy a lunch spot for food-savvy travellers. Have a Bohemian day!

**We suggest you follow this link on your phone to create a free Ride With GPS account and automatically become a member of the Wine Country Bikes RWGPS Club. Installing their free app will then allow you to use turn by turn voice navigation on any Wine Country Bikes routes and download our routes and maps to your phone for offline usage.

Ride from our Bike Touring Center in the Town of Healdsburg to the old apple growning region of the Graton area and back through the Russian River Valley. The terrain is a mixture of flat to constant rolling terrain with a couple of hills that are up to a mile in length on this route. Riding along you'll experience the unique diverse landscape of Sonoma County.

The first leg of this ride is all about the riding, reserving any extended stops until the return trip into Healdsburg. You'll travel south-west from Eastside Rd to Starr Rd and climb up Vinehill Rd into the town of Graton for lunch - we recommend Willow Wood Market Cafe.

After lunch you'll use a combination of very quiet country roads and the West Country Bike Trail to the town of Forestville. Consider visiting Ektimo Winery or a short side trip to Iron Horse Vineyards (CALL as APPOINTMENTS sometimes necessary) to catch some views of the rugged west county. You'll need to use your brakes on a very steep downhill at the end of Covey road, before crossing to historic Wholer Bridge.

Once you cross the bridge there are more than a few options for stops but I'll mention the most popular;

A few more flat miles and you're back to WCB!

More resources

Important Reminders

Visit Wine Country Bikes for more information on CALIFORNIA BIKE TOURS.

The best choice for this trip are our Specialized Allez aluminum road bikes or Specialized Sirrus Lightweight touring bikes -there are some hills and heavier hybrids may feel cumbersome after a while.

The only place to get food on this route is in Graton.

Riding under the influence of alchohol is illegal and unsafe!

All the same laws apply to bicyclists as do cars therefore we recommend using the spit bucket provided in every tasting room and purchase a few bottles to enjoy later.

Always ride single file, stay on the road and obey all traffic laws!

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