Hi folks, I have a multi-day trip planned from 5/31 to 6/5 that takes in Pinnacles National Park, San Juan Bautista and New Brighton beach (near Santa Cruz) to complete a loop back to Campbell.
The plan looks like this:
- Day 1 (5/31): Campbell to Coyote Lake in Gilroy, via Los Alamitos Creek trail and Coyote Creek trail
- Day 2 (6/1): Coyote Lake to Pinnacles NP, riding through Gilroy wine region, Hollister, and Tres Pinos.
- Day 3 (6/2): Chill at Pinnacles. Do some hiking, or just hang out by the pool.
- Day 4 (6/3): Pinnacles to San Juan Bautista.
- Day 5 (6/4): San Juan Bautista to New Brighton State Beach
- Day 6 (6/5): New Brighton to Campbell, via Soquel-San Jose Road and Los Gatos Creek trail
The total loop is about 200 miles. Most days are about 40 miles. The stretch from Gilroy to Pinnacles is a bit longer (60 miles with a steady climb from Tres Pinos). The last day does involve going over the Santa Cruz mountains, with a climb to about 1700ft.
Here's an approximate map on Google Maps, based on a similar ride I did last year: Pinnacles Bike Packing 2025.
The route is all paved. I try to do as much on creek trails as possible, but most of the ride is on road.
I have campsites booked for Coyote Lake, Pinnacles and New Brighton. My plan for San Juan Bautista is to stay at the Best Western near downtown. The max in one of the campgrounds is 6 people, so that limits the group size, unless someone is able to get a second site.
COST:
I've booked spots at the three campsites. We will share the cost between us ($165 is the total for the three sites).
Please arrange your own accommodation in San Juan Bautista. I booked my room at the Best Western already, it was around $150 for the night.
Last year I made lunch stops on the ride, I expect I'll do something similar this year. You might want to factor that into your budget. For example, on day two last year, I stopped for lunch at the Hollister Airport Eatery (it's en route).
