80 Mile with Gravel Route — Gravel Sections Details  

The Sequoia Gravel course has over 8,000 feet of climbing and includes 12 miles of packed dirt roads and trails. It is similar to the 75 mile Challenge route, but has three gravel sections: Alpine Road Trail, Old Haul Road, and Purisima Creek Trail. The gravel route is for independent riders that are confident on dirt, have appropriate bike / tires, and can handle most mechanical issues themselves. There is no SAG support on the dirt sections and it will not be possible to place route signs within the parks.

Due to restrictions in the areas traversed by the gravel parts, ebikes are not permitted and only 49 registrants are allowed. Note that ticks can be present in sections where vegetation encroaches on trails so dress accordingly.

Please familiarize yourself with the resources available on the relevant websites for more information particularly regarding trail descriptions and park maps.

Alpine Road Trail: Coal Creek Preserve | Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

Trail is mostly shady and gently sloped, averaging 7% slope over 2.75 miles and 1,000ft in elevation gain. Surface varies between dirt / native and rocked / gravel. Trail width is mostly 8-12ft wide with one section of 3-5ft tread width.

Old Haul Road: Old Haul Road | County of San Mateo, CA

This 5.7 mile multi-use route for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians goes from Memorial Park to Portola State Park. Within Pescadero Creek Park, many of the other trails intersect with Old Haul Road. This is also the main access road for maintenance crews so stay alert for trucks and tractors.

In particular please visit the Portola Redwoods State Park website (Portola Redwoods State Park) for directions on how to find the trail and have that map handy before proceeding into the park as cell phone reception is not available.

Purisima Creek Trail: Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve | Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

This trail rises 1,550 feet over 4 miles. The first mile is mostly flat, but the last 3 miles have an average slope of 10%. Trail is mostly shady and wide averaging 8-12 feet in tread width.