Stiv Rhodes
Well-known member
I will be adding to/editing this travel guide with any useful comments that come in. The US 101 through northern California is probably the most popular hitch-hiking route in the country. I've hitched up and down it a lot and can usually cover this 350 mile stretch in 2 days. California law does not allow pedestrians to walk the freeway like in some states, so in places where the route is freeway as opposed to highway, hitch-hiking is limited to the on-ramps, and only certain ramps are viable sources of rides. When you're on highway, you can hitch wherever there is a shoulder thereby catching all the through traffic. The cities that the route passes through are cool enough that this still works great, but it is useful to know which ramps to be at and which towns not to get dropped off in, to avoid getting stuck in a dead zone and having to pay for a county bus or waiting like a day for a 5 mile ride to another dead zone.
For those who don't know, the difference between a freeway and a highway is that a highway can have intersections, stop signs/stop lights, addresses, and is intended to be open to all types of travel (pedestrian, bicycle) although they are designed with cars primarily in mind. Freeways are for cars. They have no cross traffic or stops, are only accessible by ramps and usually have higher speed limits. Interstates are always freeways. State routes are usually highways. Federal routes usually alternate between freeways and highways. Here's a rundown from north to south of all the best on-ramps, dead zones, and stretches of highway, so if your ride is going to a dead zone, you can have them drop you off at the last good spot they pass by.
Crescent City-If headed north with the intention of getting on the I-5 through Oregon at some point, stand before where Redwood Highway splits between the 101 and the 199 and the speed limit picks up and the shoulder disappears. Do not use a sign to specify which route you are hitching. Take whatever route the ride who stops is taking. It will probably be the 101, but both will work. If you take the 101 up through the Oregon coast, cross over to the 1-5 from Florence to Eugene.
Going south the 101 stays highway all the way down to just before Patrick's Point, which I believe is a dead zone so if your ride isn't going to Trinidad, hop out at Big Lagoon. From Trinidad, hitch out on the main st. ramp. If you get brought to Clam Beach going south, it is sometimes possible to hitch-hike by mouth a ride to Arcata from the folks that have bonfire parties at night or the campers in the morning. Its also a good spot to camp. If you don't get a ride in the morning tho, the odds of catching a ride before evening are slim. Don't take a ride to Clam Beach going north.
I've never hitched out of Fisher/McKinnleyville so if anyone knows the best ramp for that area, it would help. From Arcata you can hitch north Samoa Blvd. but you miss half the traffic that's going your way. Going south you can hitch the 14th st. ramp but it's probably better to take the $3 bus to Eureka. In Eureka the 101 becomes a main road through town and picks up as highway both sides so it's easy to hitch out.
I've never been dropped off anywhere between Eureka and Fortuna and I've never hitched out of Fortuna but I'm told Fortuna is hard to hitch out of. If anybody has input on that area it would be helpfull. If you get brought to the Hwy 36/Alton junction, hop out early northbound, or walk a little southbound and the 101 is highway through Scotia to just north of Stafford.
You can hitch out of Weott. I don't know how Myers Flat, Miranda or Phillipsville are. Garberville is good. I've never tried Benbow but 5 miles south toward Richardson Grove it becomes highway so it might be worth it to walk if you're going south, and you should definitely hop out early if a northbound ride is going to Benbow.
From Richardson Grove, it stays highway all the way through Willits. I've never hitched from Calpella or The Forks. In Ukiah The ramp to hitch from is Talmage Rd, it's ok but not that great of a spot. If you're going north it might be worth it to take the bus to Willits to catch the highway. If you're going south route becomes highway at Hopland, and you can catch a bus there too.
Do not get dropped off in Preston or Cloverdale. Geyserville is good. I dont know about Lytton. In Healdsberg hitch north at Westside rd or south at Healdsberg ave. Do not get dropped off between Healdsberg and Santa Rosa. From Santa Rosa, the ramp to use is College ave. I lived in Santa Rosa and always saw travelers trying to hitch from the downtown ramp. It doesn't work
Rohnert Park can work but it's not great. Don't try Cotati. From Petaluma the ramp you want is E Washington/McDowell. In Novato the ramp is De Long, but it's not great. There's a bus that goes from San Francisco to Santa Rosa, and honestly if you're anywhere in between these cities besides Petaluma, you should take it. Hitching north from the downtown San Rafael ramp works. You can hitch south from the downtown ramp but cops run you off the ramp 'cause there's no shoulder, and headed south, half the traffic is going toward the East bay, and there's nowhere you can hitch from between San Rafael and SF accept across from the Shoreline Highway bus pad in Manzanita.
In San Francisco you can hitch north at Lombard St. or south at the Junipero Serra hwy 1 ramp. If you're headed south it's best to take hwy 1 trough Santa Cruz, as opposed to going through San Jose, unless you catch a ride straight to San Jose. Make sure your ride out of SF is going at least as far as Fairway Park. From there, it's all highway to Santa Cruz. You might also consider taking the bus from the Daily City or Colma Bart station to Pacifica.
For those who don't know, the difference between a freeway and a highway is that a highway can have intersections, stop signs/stop lights, addresses, and is intended to be open to all types of travel (pedestrian, bicycle) although they are designed with cars primarily in mind. Freeways are for cars. They have no cross traffic or stops, are only accessible by ramps and usually have higher speed limits. Interstates are always freeways. State routes are usually highways. Federal routes usually alternate between freeways and highways. Here's a rundown from north to south of all the best on-ramps, dead zones, and stretches of highway, so if your ride is going to a dead zone, you can have them drop you off at the last good spot they pass by.
Crescent City-If headed north with the intention of getting on the I-5 through Oregon at some point, stand before where Redwood Highway splits between the 101 and the 199 and the speed limit picks up and the shoulder disappears. Do not use a sign to specify which route you are hitching. Take whatever route the ride who stops is taking. It will probably be the 101, but both will work. If you take the 101 up through the Oregon coast, cross over to the 1-5 from Florence to Eugene.
Going south the 101 stays highway all the way down to just before Patrick's Point, which I believe is a dead zone so if your ride isn't going to Trinidad, hop out at Big Lagoon. From Trinidad, hitch out on the main st. ramp. If you get brought to Clam Beach going south, it is sometimes possible to hitch-hike by mouth a ride to Arcata from the folks that have bonfire parties at night or the campers in the morning. Its also a good spot to camp. If you don't get a ride in the morning tho, the odds of catching a ride before evening are slim. Don't take a ride to Clam Beach going north.
I've never hitched out of Fisher/McKinnleyville so if anyone knows the best ramp for that area, it would help. From Arcata you can hitch north Samoa Blvd. but you miss half the traffic that's going your way. Going south you can hitch the 14th st. ramp but it's probably better to take the $3 bus to Eureka. In Eureka the 101 becomes a main road through town and picks up as highway both sides so it's easy to hitch out.
I've never been dropped off anywhere between Eureka and Fortuna and I've never hitched out of Fortuna but I'm told Fortuna is hard to hitch out of. If anybody has input on that area it would be helpfull. If you get brought to the Hwy 36/Alton junction, hop out early northbound, or walk a little southbound and the 101 is highway through Scotia to just north of Stafford.
You can hitch out of Weott. I don't know how Myers Flat, Miranda or Phillipsville are. Garberville is good. I've never tried Benbow but 5 miles south toward Richardson Grove it becomes highway so it might be worth it to walk if you're going south, and you should definitely hop out early if a northbound ride is going to Benbow.
From Richardson Grove, it stays highway all the way through Willits. I've never hitched from Calpella or The Forks. In Ukiah The ramp to hitch from is Talmage Rd, it's ok but not that great of a spot. If you're going north it might be worth it to take the bus to Willits to catch the highway. If you're going south route becomes highway at Hopland, and you can catch a bus there too.
Do not get dropped off in Preston or Cloverdale. Geyserville is good. I dont know about Lytton. In Healdsberg hitch north at Westside rd or south at Healdsberg ave. Do not get dropped off between Healdsberg and Santa Rosa. From Santa Rosa, the ramp to use is College ave. I lived in Santa Rosa and always saw travelers trying to hitch from the downtown ramp. It doesn't work
Rohnert Park can work but it's not great. Don't try Cotati. From Petaluma the ramp you want is E Washington/McDowell. In Novato the ramp is De Long, but it's not great. There's a bus that goes from San Francisco to Santa Rosa, and honestly if you're anywhere in between these cities besides Petaluma, you should take it. Hitching north from the downtown San Rafael ramp works. You can hitch south from the downtown ramp but cops run you off the ramp 'cause there's no shoulder, and headed south, half the traffic is going toward the East bay, and there's nowhere you can hitch from between San Rafael and SF accept across from the Shoreline Highway bus pad in Manzanita.
In San Francisco you can hitch north at Lombard St. or south at the Junipero Serra hwy 1 ramp. If you're headed south it's best to take hwy 1 trough Santa Cruz, as opposed to going through San Jose, unless you catch a ride straight to San Jose. Make sure your ride out of SF is going at least as far as Fairway Park. From there, it's all highway to Santa Cruz. You might also consider taking the bus from the Daily City or Colma Bart station to Pacifica.
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