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Mileage: 20.5 miles (2 - 3 hours riding time) Rating: Medium Difficulty Route: Take River Road west, 3 miles, to Austin Creek Road; Austin Creek Road north, 6 miles to Kramer Road; right on Kramer Road to Cazadero Highway; left on Cazadero Highway. Return on Cazadero Highway, 6 miles, to River Road; right on River Road, 1 mile, to Duncans Mills; left across Russian River and onto Moscow Road, back to Monte Rio, 3 miles; left across Russian River on Main Street to your car. Begin at the Rio Theater, on River Road in Monte Rio. The first stretch is narrow, with little room outside the narrow traffic lanes, but soon the road widens. Soon after the Laurel Dell street sign, turn right onto Austin Creek Road. There is little traffic on this narrow, forested road and here you can enjoy the redwoods in dense groves on either side, with glimpses of Austin Creek. As the road crosses the creek and Cazadero Highway, stay on Austin Creek Road as it climbs above the Berkeley Music Camp. After passing St. Elmo Creek and a pair of one-lane bridges, turn right down Kramer Road and left on Cazadero Highway. The tiny town of Cazadero awaits you. Once a logging community, Cazadero has the Cazadero General Store as its major attraction. On your return trip you will find an easy coast back to River Road along Cazadero Highway. You can decide to return to Monte Rio by turning left onto River Road or go right into Duncans Mills. This quaint restored sawmill town is filled with boutique shops and really excellent restaurants .You can grab a picnic lunch at the Duncans Mills General Store and head down to the river. To return to your car, turn onto Moscow Road, cross the river, and follow Moscow Road to the left. At the end of Moscow Road, turn left and left again over the bridge to your start point. In Monte Rio there are a number of spots for snacks and the Village Inn Bar & Restaurant for dinner in this area. If you finish your trip on a warm summer's day, you can swim in the river from the public beach behind the theater. http://wwww.cazadero.net/cazadero_information/bikeroute_1.html; Sunday, April 09, 2006 5:17:07 PM |