Paso Robles Cycling Getaway — March 30–April 2

Three days of spring riding, great food, and even better company. My cycling club's annual getaway to Paso Robles delivered quiet Central Coast backroads, rolling ranchland, and a few memorable stops—from Tablas Creek Winery to lunch in Santa Margarita.

• Base: Paso Robles, CA

• Rides: Jolon Rd / Nacimiento Valley Rd warm-up; Peachy Canyon + Chimney Rock loop; Linne Rd / Huerhuero Creek to Santa Margarita

• Highlights: Chimney Rock backroads, Tablas Creek lunch stop, Paso Robles town square at night

• Food: Firestone Walker, Fish Gaucho, The Porch (Santa Margarita), Pappy McGregor’s

Monday: Arrival, Jolon Road spin, and Firestone Walker

I headed down to Paso Robles Monday morning with Geoff S. and Kurt B. to lead week 2 of the annual VeloRaptor Paso Robles getaway. Geoff and I didn’t know Kurt very well yet, but the three-hour car ride fixed that—Kurt’s background in improv, stand-up, and acting kept the conversation rolling the whole way.

On the way in, we did our usual warm-up: an out-and-back on Jolon Road and Nacimiento Valley Road (about 20 miles), meeting up with several of the other riders. At the San Antonio River crossing, I stopped with Diane, Phillip, and Tiffany to point out the plaque marking the old bridge site—washed out in 2023.

We enjoyed the open road.

A few of us at the turnaround on the Monday spin.

That evening we gathered at the Firestone Walker Taproom for beer, tacos, and lively conversation—equal parts catching up and looking ahead to the next two days of riding. Some weren’t ready to leave.

Tuesday: Peachy Canyon + Chimney Rock loop, then dinner downtown

Tuesday’s route headed west on Peachy Canyon Drive. We’d heard the week 1 group ran into early construction that was fine for bikes but impossible for the SAG. My co-leader, David K., and I did a quick early scout—and found nothing but fresh, smooth pavement. A very good omen. 

There are numerous wineries along Peachy Canyon interspersed with fabulous views, but there is a bit of climbing.  We had a SAG vehicle complete with snacks which proved to be very popular

 

SAG stop at the corner of Peachy Canyon and Vineyard Rd. Oreos anyone?

One of my favorite parts of this ride is the Chimney Rock Road–Cypress Mountain Drive–Klau Mine Road loop (about 10 miles)—a little tour through old California. The road is narrow, occasionally steep, and usually quiet. What you do find are streams winding through open meadows, old farm buildings slowly melting into the landscape, and the occasional sheep or goats near a remote ranch. There’s a touch of development in the form of Justin Winery along Chimney Rock Road. Tip: ride the loop counterclockwise—the steep section near Justin is much nicer to descend than to climb.

One of the melting spots is the Davis Family Ranch.  The sign says Keep Out and notes the property is “visited” daily—though after riding by here for years, I’ve yet to see anyone.

Continuing on, we spotted a few more structures mid-melt.

Sheep and goats far out number humans in along this loop.

Completing the loop we found our way to Tablas Creek Winery for lunch and a  mid-ride reset. I picked up some Tannant, and a couple of excellent red blends.

Back in Paso Robles, we met up at Fish Gaucho for a fabulous dinner. After dinner we debated dessert logistics: ice cream just a few steps away, or a longer walk for donuts. Kurt slipped into a French maître d’ accent to help us “resolve” the situation.

Walking back across the square to the Paso Robles Inn was quite delightful.

Here is a map of the route, click for a detailed version

Wednesday: Rolling ranchland to Santa Margarita, then horse country home

Wednesday’s route took us east, then south toward lunch in Santa Margarita. East of Paso Robles the landscape opens into rolling ranchland. We followed Linne Road along Huerhuero Creek for much of the route. For the first few miles the creek is mostly a wide, sandy wash bordered by vineyards, ranches, and a few crop farms. The road often runs on a low ridge, which makes for long views across the valley.

We did find direct evidence that Huerhuero Creek is not always dry in the form of the footbridge shown below.

I even found an old Farmall Cub tractor to photograph for my Pinterest page!

This section of road did have one steep climb around a curve, not long, and Phillip will attest that it is definitely memorable.

Huerhuero Creek bends south at Cass Winery—and so does the road. Even as the name changes (Linne to Geneseo to Creston to Webster), it keeps tracing the creek. We rolled through Creston and resisted the temptation to stop for lunch at the Long Branch.

A few miles south of Creston, the road narrows and climbs to about 1,600 feet before dropping through a narrow, beautiful canyon - the photo below is of a dear friend, Steve G, starting the descent in 2024. While Steve is no longer with us, it was places like this that brought him joy.

The road comes to a T-intersection with Highway 58, where we took a right turn and were happy to see a newly repaved road. In fact, the crews were still working on the road which slowed the traffic and made for a nice ride into Santa Margarita.

Lunch was at The Porch in Santa Margarita, and our pre-ordered sandwiches hit the spot. Phillip made sure everyone was fueled up and ready to roll afterward.

On the ride back from Santa Margarita, the gray overcast since our arrival gave way to blue sky and fluffy white clouds—perfect for cruising through horse country on the way to Paso Robles.

 

We rolled through Templeton - just south of Paso Robles - and enjoyed its easygoing, bike-friendly vibe.

Dinner that night was at Pappy McGregor’s, right on the square.

Here is a map of the Huerhuero route, click here for a detailed version.

Wrap-up

Heading back, Kurt took this photo of Geoff, me and the bikes at a coffee stop on the way home.

Acknowledgement: While many of the photos are mine, many others were taken by various riders and collected by Paul L. who curated them and produced a nice slide show which I freely sampled.

Thanks, Paul.