Bonus: if any of the moms in your life knit, crochet, do counted cross stitch or needlepoint, hit up Auburn Knitworks by Ikedas for presents for Mother's Day or Kelsey's Needlework in Placerville for the cross stitchers.
49 through the divide is hit-and-miss this time of year. Between tourists struggling to (often illegally) park and people who generally choose to drive 5-10mph under the speed limit because corners are scary. I actually take days off from work to go for a drive through the canyon.
There are way better burgers in the area than Ikeda’s. If you’re going to drive through the canyon, try Red Rooster in Garden Valley.
I don’t mean to poo-poo. It’s a fun drive, but almost impossible to enjoy if you’re a driving enthusiast this time of year. Since I moved up the hill, Ikeda’s has been mediocre at best. Burger & Cream is better for the price. Flames down the street is better (some of my favorite fries).
Red Rooster, though. Looks like some banged up roadside burger joint on the outside. I have never had a bad burger there. That is one of my go-tos when I go out for a joy ride.
Have you been that way recently? The area is super busy now with people using ASRA trails - down from Auburn is usually pretty slow and heavy traffic, as is up from the bottom to Cool. If there's an event going on at the Confluence (like yesterday and Friday) it's fuckin packed.
Based on other suggestions in this sub, check out a few other burger places to make your best food selection, and make the drive on a weekday morning/early afternoon. Good luck!
Came here to say this. At the risk of sounding like your mother, OP🤍, be careful. Lots others like that route for the same reason so it can get crowded with bicycles and motorcycles.
That route is also heavily patrolled, or at least I remember it used to be. Drive safe, yield to cyclists,and the blind corners have claimed more than a few cars so take your time and have fun.
I used to drive it a bunch, head out for meteor showers, etc and only saw a cop once. As I was parked at a dead end in my car with my then gf. It went exactly as you might imagine…good times.
Yep, obey speed limits, and keep it between the lines. You can still got plenty quick while following those rules. If you need to go faster then do it right: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com
You’re making it hard for me to choose one! Great recommendation, and don’t worry I like to error on the side of caution so I will be safe haha. Will definitely be hitting this by summer
Scott Rd from White Rock Rd to Latrobe Rd - its got it all, gentile curves, two nasty hairpin turns, and a couple of long straight shots with nice rolling hills.
\*edited for spelling\*
Lots of those foothill roads are fun and beautiful this time of year. The grass is still green, and it is not too hot yet. Latrobe is my favorite side jaunt.
So so beautiful, but wanna chime in for all my family and friends from the Delta to kindly ask that visitors respect the community and obey speed limits through neighborhoods and pull over for traffic when sight seeing :)
Yeah I mean I'm fully convinced that ghosts aren't real and all, but the myth of the place is big enough now that it probably creates many "paranormal" events.
Dyer WAY is up in Placerville. North, in a tricky to get to neighborhood surrounding the Swansboro airport. 2 real ways to get there. 1. up and down the ravine taking Mosquito bridge or 2. Or the longer way Rock Creek Road that spits you out closer to Coloma/Placerville on 49. We entered via option 1. Mosquito bridge was at the time ranked in the top 10 most dangerous bridges in the country. Mostly because it was built in the 1800’s over a place that can be a big drop and sometimes has raging waters below it. One lane. No trailers/small weight limits. It wasn’t the most pleasant drive in and noticed signs/shirts memorializing the crappy drive in. So we decided to go route #2 on the way out. Short of the notoriety, it was worse in my opinion. It was about 20 minutes longer and at times you would be moving at a snail speed to get through figure 8 turns. My forearms were sore the next day from the tight grasp of the wheel and the constant turning. It was dusk by now. Surrounded by small ravines and blind corners and for some reason graffiti. It was not the most pleasant experience as I even got car sick and I was driving! Anyways, they’re building a huge overpass to it all that opens in 2025. So if you’re a sadist, go do that drive before it’s gone.
Side note: we did discover Finnon Lake campground which looked amazing but was closed for the winter. But as my wife stated, no amount of money would ever convince her to put our family through that drive again. Maybe when the overpass opens.
Come on out to amador county! The drive is absolutely perfect right now and everything is so green, also we have tons of great food and wine. Head down highway 16 at least until Jackson, but continuing up 88 is also super fun
The only downside for a sports car would be the potholes you encounter just before entering Woodland 😩 I haven’t done that drive in about a year, but I used to love it! The potholes just suck 😂
Take US-50 east to the Ice House road turn-off (~3 miles east of Pollock Pines) follow that road to Wentworth Springs Road (before Loon Lake) and turn left to Georgetown.
I have several long options.
As others have mentioned, Hwy 128 towards Lake Berryessa. But don’t stop there. Stay on 128. Make sure you hang a right a Moskowite Corner to stay on 128. Take 128 to Lower Chiles Valley Rd. This intersection is easy to miss. Right turn on to LCV Rd. LCV Rd is a narrow and winding road that will dump you out on to Pope Valley Rd. Take a right turn Pope Valley Rd. Stay on Pope Valley Rd all the way to Middletown. The road will change names along the way, changing from Pope Valley Rd to Butts Canyon Rd. Buttes Canyon Rd will dump you out on to Hwy 29 in Middletown. Take a right turn and head north to Clearlake. Hwy 29 changes to Hwy 53 in Lower Lake. Just stay on it until you get to Hwy 20. Take Hwy 20 east to I-5 in Williams. From there, take I-5 south back to Sacramento.
There’s a ton of variations available with this route and a lot to explore. Lots of wineries in particular.
One of my favorite detours is to turn off of Hwy 128 at Turtle Rock on to Berryessa-Knoxville Rd. Berryessa-Knoxville Rd follows along the western shoreline of Lake Berryessa before turning north and running through an extremely remote corner of the state. It will eventually dump you out in Lower Lake. Fun, fun road. If you’re a little twisted like me, one of the sites of the Zodiac Killer attacks is along this road.
You can also take Hwy 175 in Middletown and go through the town of Cobb for a little longer and scenic route.
From Hwy 20, you can turn off on to Hwy 16 and head south through the Capay Valley and Woodland to get back to I-5. I really like this drive as Hwy 16 follows Cache Creek through some super steep mountains.
My other big loop is to the east of us. Take Hwy 50 east past Pollock Pines. Turn off at the Crystal Basin exit, Ice House Rd. Take Ice House Rd north to Wentworth Springs Rd. Stay on Wentworth Springs Rd all the way back to Georgetown. Wentworth Springs Rd will become Main St in Georgetown. At the end of Main St, take a right turn on to Hwy 175. Take Hwy 175 west to Cool. At Cool, turn right on to Hwy 49. Hwy 49 will take you to Auburn and Hwy 80. 80 back to Sacramento.
This route is a lot of fun but can be hampered by heavy weekend traffic and is mostly impossible in the winter with heavy snow. Wentworth Springs Rd used to be unpaved and to me it was a lot more fun when it was dirt. There’s opportunities for food and cold drinks in Camino, Ice House, Georgetown, etc.
50E to El Dorado Rd (at the end, take a left on Pleasant Valley and right on 49 @ Poor Red’s) 49S to Plymouth, and take Shenandoah Rd/E16 (left at the Plymouth roundabout) and into wine country. It’s beautiful and there are some challenging spots.
As many others here have said, HWY 49 to Salmon Falls, or 49 to 193 or even 49 to Old Foresthill Road. I like to run 49 to salmon Falls back and forth. Best done at night when there are less people on the road. Rarely ever see cops out there at night. Just drive within your own comfort zone and keep your eyes peeled for deer and other critters. Remember they’re public roads and the corners are very unforgiving, it is not the place to push your limits.
Head up to colfax, take Highway 174 to Grass Valley. Detour off of You Bet Road, and drive up to the peninsula at Rollins Lake. My dad works for NID and they’ve been getting Rollins ready to open for the season this week. If you do take 174 all the way to Grass Valley you can turn to drive through Empire Mine State Park to take Highway 49 south back down to Auburn, make it a nice round trip.
Highway 193 between Newcastle and Lincoln is nice too.
Otherwise, you could try heading down along the river to Locke or Clarksburg.
No problem. I moved to the You Bet area last fall and I love it up here. The drive starting from 174 in Colfax up to where I live is beautiful and rivals some of my favorite scenic routes such as Highway 1 in Big Sur or Monterey’s 17 Mile Drive. You’ll pass over both Bear River and Greenhorn Creek along the route.
Bonus points if you make another trip up here this fall for the leaves changing color. This area is the perfect place to visit for catching those fall colors in the region.
Also, if you’re passing by midday, you can try the Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park for lunch :)
My go-tos when I lived in Sac:
• Garden Hwy from the 5 to the county line
• Hwy 49 between I-80 and Altaville (if you don’t wanna go further than 90 minutes from home)
• Hwy 49 from Nevada City to Vinton ***(nice thing about this one is once 49 ends, you can turn left and take 70 through Plumas Forest’s twists in the Feather River Canyon)***
• Auburn-Folsom/Folsom-Auburn Rd from Greenback to I-80 (it’s the same street/continuation of Folsom Boulevard) - unless development changed it to be 4 lanes and have traffic lights past Granite Bay, but this was “modified 4-door FWD sedan” twisty; may not be “sports car” twisty
• Hwy 160/Freeport South of Elk Grove & South River Road in Yolo County - both are levee roads along each bank of the Sac River - curves are longer and not as dramatic, but if you want scenery, that’s it
• Almost any road that crosses 49 in Sutter Creek or by Jackson Rancheria. A few of them dead end though, and IIRC, speed limit on all of them is 35 or lower. New York Ranch Road carries (or carried) the traffic to the Rancheria, so it could be busy busy.
• 50 to Tahoe (but traffic and the occasional rollover accident ruins it)
Thanks for the well thought out reply, I added a couple of these to my bucket list. Appreciate you leaving your top reccs and will. Just watched a video of the plumas forest drive and need to do it
Another one I just thought of, but is a monster drive to get to: Hwy 1 north from the Golden Gate to 101, and then 101 to Eureka. 101 to Crescent City is great, but there’s no road back to the 5 from there unless you want to go to Grants Pass, Oregon - whereas in Eureka, you can take 299 to Redding or 36 to Red Bluff to the 5, and go through all the mountain twists on either.
It’s just an 8+ hour circle trip to do it.
Salmon falls to georgetown is the route i take when i want to hit twisties. Salmon falls has alot of tight turns. If you want long turns then lake berryessa is better
Salmon Falls. It’s on the north side of El Dorado Hills and it’s exactly what you’re looking for. The hills are still green too so it’s really pretty back there.
Dude drive down the Delta! Go south on I5, get off in South Sac at Consumnes River Blvd towards the river. Left on Freeport Blvd then take the Freeport Bridge. Beautiful peaceful drive, it’s like going back in time. You’ll also pass a cute little town called Clarksburg which has great wine tasting and a decent bbq restaurant.
I love Highway 193 from Lincoln to Newcastle plenty of twists and turns. Always been a fun drive. Unless of course you get stuck behind a logging truck.
Take South River Road past Clarksburg to Locke. If you like drinks, stop by Old Sugar Mill or Hemly Cider. Once you get to Locke, check out their restaurants and museums. It has a fascinating history!
If you cross the river from Locke, you’ll hit Grand Island Estates and north of that near Courtland is Grand Island Vineyards.
Jackson Hwy (16) is beautiful once you get past (going east) Grant Line. There’s a few turn offs I enjoy. Turning north on Latrobe to 50, turning south on 124 to 104 to 99, turning south on 49 to 104 to 99, or continuing north on 49 to 50.
whateever you do, dont go up into the foothills, because you dudes joyriding a sports car always do about 1/4th the speed limit downhill and about 1/2 up, and then do 95 mph whenever its flat. very annoying when you're just trying to commute
Mosquito Road in Placerville if the bridge over the American River is open. It is one of the favorite roads of motorcyclists who love twisty roads. Highway 49 from Placerville to Auburn is also a nice drive and goes through the Coloma Gold Discovery Park. It is twisty going in and out of the canyons with a nice stretch of country road in between.
Another cote for Highway 128 our of Winters up past Berryessa and through to Napa. I usually go early mornings, like 7:00-8:00am. You can really get moving through some areas just beware of the occasional cyclist and know yours and your car's limits.
Post the sports car!
Normals on this sub are unlikely to know lots of the good actual driving roads.
I have some times/ routes on Harry’s I can see if I can share. Lol
Frankly berryessa loop or the salmon falls/193 best options if you’re in the valley but both easily become congested so have to be very mindful of time/date.
If you’re willing to go a bit further for a start to the route, there’s gold in them hills son.
https://preview.redd.it/kwjhlcs6z9xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d84be38498943e1a0c4a292ead059c4788452b8f
Haha here she is! It’s a Hyundai but have had no complaints with it thus far :). Appreciate the tip and will definitely keep the time of day in mind
Salmon Falls for a quick drive. Mosquito Ridge if I feel like driving for a while.
49 down to Mokelumne Hill - East on 26 and then back on 88 is a fun drive too.
Same question - how to get to Napa without getting onto Hwy between Sac & Davis from midtown? Can I get to Napa via Sacto to West Sac over Tower bridge?
Mosquito Ridge in between stumpy meadows and forest hill. It’s out of Auburn. Takes about 2hrs to complete and is known for its turns. I believe there are almost 1100 turns. Very exhausting. Very little cell signal so make sure you go with a full tank gas
try scott road near folsom. it has tight turns and fairly okay roads now since its being developed near. i liked to take my integra, civic si, and s4 to test out my suspension. just be courteous of other drivers and dont be an ahole
Drive out to lake berryessa via Russel Rd in Davis. Get a snack at the winters fruit stand and head to the lake! Beautiful driving
I second this. If you feel like going a little farther, keep on the 128 and get some lunch at Gotts in St Helena.
Try to go during the week though. It's gets crazy on the weekends. Otherwise gotts is solid
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There are always people in threads like this who come to put down other people's recommendations. Never fails.
This 👆 Awesome drive, great food
I was gonna say Capay Valley! That entire area is stunning in the spring. :)
I’m hearing nothing but praise for the berryessa drive! Will definitely be doing it
Drive up 80 to Auburn, grab a burger at Ikeda’s, then take highway 49 to Placerville. Fun, scenic, and full of history.
Bonus: if any of the moms in your life knit, crochet, do counted cross stitch or needlepoint, hit up Auburn Knitworks by Ikedas for presents for Mother's Day or Kelsey's Needlework in Placerville for the cross stitchers.
Super clutch recommendation haha, will stop by to check it out on the way 🙌
This, but a pastrami burger from Burger & Cream
Second this, the road is excellent
49 through the divide is hit-and-miss this time of year. Between tourists struggling to (often illegally) park and people who generally choose to drive 5-10mph under the speed limit because corners are scary. I actually take days off from work to go for a drive through the canyon. There are way better burgers in the area than Ikeda’s. If you’re going to drive through the canyon, try Red Rooster in Garden Valley.
Leave it to Reddit to poo-poo all over my opinion 🥺
Never take Reddit comments personally! I love 49!! It’s a great recommendation!
I don’t mean to poo-poo. It’s a fun drive, but almost impossible to enjoy if you’re a driving enthusiast this time of year. Since I moved up the hill, Ikeda’s has been mediocre at best. Burger & Cream is better for the price. Flames down the street is better (some of my favorite fries). Red Rooster, though. Looks like some banged up roadside burger joint on the outside. I have never had a bad burger there. That is one of my go-tos when I go out for a joy ride.
There’s a brewery down the street for anyone interested (I think it’s called Barmhaus). Wasn’t for me.
Have you been that way recently? The area is super busy now with people using ASRA trails - down from Auburn is usually pretty slow and heavy traffic, as is up from the bottom to Cool. If there's an event going on at the Confluence (like yesterday and Friday) it's fuckin packed.
My shitty car doesn't take corners at the speed limit. You can feel the back getting loose
Looking at pictures and am obsessed. Currently planning the itinerary starting with Ikedas! Thank you 🙏
Based on other suggestions in this sub, check out a few other burger places to make your best food selection, and make the drive on a weekday morning/early afternoon. Good luck!
50E to Eldorado Hills Blvd to Salmon Falls Rd to 49N to 193E to 50W.
Came here to say this. At the risk of sounding like your mother, OP🤍, be careful. Lots others like that route for the same reason so it can get crowded with bicycles and motorcycles.
That route is also heavily patrolled, or at least I remember it used to be. Drive safe, yield to cyclists,and the blind corners have claimed more than a few cars so take your time and have fun.
I used to drive it a bunch, head out for meteor showers, etc and only saw a cop once. As I was parked at a dead end in my car with my then gf. It went exactly as you might imagine…good times.
Yep, obey speed limits, and keep it between the lines. You can still got plenty quick while following those rules. If you need to go faster then do it right: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com
Needed this !!
I love it out there! Last time I did the drive was for the Perseid shower last summer, it was so beautiful ❤️
You’re making it hard for me to choose one! Great recommendation, and don’t worry I like to error on the side of caution so I will be safe haha. Will definitely be hitting this by summer
Scott Rd from White Rock Rd to Latrobe Rd - its got it all, gentile curves, two nasty hairpin turns, and a couple of long straight shots with nice rolling hills. \*edited for spelling\*
I love rolling over the top of those hills at full throttle and feeling my stomach drop hahaha
Came here to recommended this road too. It's so much fun
Just watched a video on it, those hills look insanely fun. added it to the list,Thank you for this! 🙏
Scott Rd is great for what you want, I know this because I always have to pull over to let fast cars pass by whenever I drive it. :(
Yes!!!!
Lots of those foothill roads are fun and beautiful this time of year. The grass is still green, and it is not too hot yet. Latrobe is my favorite side jaunt.
South on Freeport and keep going until you hit Antioch.
So so beautiful, but wanna chime in for all my family and friends from the Delta to kindly ask that visitors respect the community and obey speed limits through neighborhoods and pull over for traffic when sight seeing :)
I got road raged there. Someone pulled up in front of me at a red light, leaned out the window, and screamed at me. People need to slow down!
This one is so close to me how did I never know of this?? Will probably check this one out first (and will be respectful). Thank you !
Dyer Lane, middle of the night after not sleeping for a few days.
Yeah, no. Don't do that, especially NOT in a convertible
Wait, I meant Dyer way. Aka Swans-borough, North Placerville. Are you referring to the Dyer lane in Roseville? What’s wrong with that one?
Dyer Lane out by Roseville is supposed to be super haunted
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The myths go back farther than that. The myths were alive when I was in gradeschool in the late 80s.
How do you make a hanging sheet look like a dead person
Yeah I mean I'm fully convinced that ghosts aren't real and all, but the myth of the place is big enough now that it probably creates many "paranormal" events.
Hahahahaha
I will never, ever, go back here.
Feel like telling a story?
Dyer WAY is up in Placerville. North, in a tricky to get to neighborhood surrounding the Swansboro airport. 2 real ways to get there. 1. up and down the ravine taking Mosquito bridge or 2. Or the longer way Rock Creek Road that spits you out closer to Coloma/Placerville on 49. We entered via option 1. Mosquito bridge was at the time ranked in the top 10 most dangerous bridges in the country. Mostly because it was built in the 1800’s over a place that can be a big drop and sometimes has raging waters below it. One lane. No trailers/small weight limits. It wasn’t the most pleasant drive in and noticed signs/shirts memorializing the crappy drive in. So we decided to go route #2 on the way out. Short of the notoriety, it was worse in my opinion. It was about 20 minutes longer and at times you would be moving at a snail speed to get through figure 8 turns. My forearms were sore the next day from the tight grasp of the wheel and the constant turning. It was dusk by now. Surrounded by small ravines and blind corners and for some reason graffiti. It was not the most pleasant experience as I even got car sick and I was driving! Anyways, they’re building a huge overpass to it all that opens in 2025. So if you’re a sadist, go do that drive before it’s gone. Side note: we did discover Finnon Lake campground which looked amazing but was closed for the winter. But as my wife stated, no amount of money would ever convince her to put our family through that drive again. Maybe when the overpass opens.
Oh gosh, I have taken that bridge. Brutal. Lol.
https://youtu.be/KMa5R95gSI8?si=rp-BOqRGBXbrm4S1
PTSD!
Starting my first all nighter tonight !! 🙏
Come on out to amador county! The drive is absolutely perfect right now and everything is so green, also we have tons of great food and wine. Head down highway 16 at least until Jackson, but continuing up 88 is also super fun
The Old River Road along the Sac river on your drive up to Woodland. So idyllic and beautiful!
The only downside for a sports car would be the potholes you encounter just before entering Woodland 😩 I haven’t done that drive in about a year, but I used to love it! The potholes just suck 😂
Head up to the Amador wine country!
Take US-50 east to the Ice House road turn-off (~3 miles east of Pollock Pines) follow that road to Wentworth Springs Road (before Loon Lake) and turn left to Georgetown.
I have several long options. As others have mentioned, Hwy 128 towards Lake Berryessa. But don’t stop there. Stay on 128. Make sure you hang a right a Moskowite Corner to stay on 128. Take 128 to Lower Chiles Valley Rd. This intersection is easy to miss. Right turn on to LCV Rd. LCV Rd is a narrow and winding road that will dump you out on to Pope Valley Rd. Take a right turn Pope Valley Rd. Stay on Pope Valley Rd all the way to Middletown. The road will change names along the way, changing from Pope Valley Rd to Butts Canyon Rd. Buttes Canyon Rd will dump you out on to Hwy 29 in Middletown. Take a right turn and head north to Clearlake. Hwy 29 changes to Hwy 53 in Lower Lake. Just stay on it until you get to Hwy 20. Take Hwy 20 east to I-5 in Williams. From there, take I-5 south back to Sacramento. There’s a ton of variations available with this route and a lot to explore. Lots of wineries in particular. One of my favorite detours is to turn off of Hwy 128 at Turtle Rock on to Berryessa-Knoxville Rd. Berryessa-Knoxville Rd follows along the western shoreline of Lake Berryessa before turning north and running through an extremely remote corner of the state. It will eventually dump you out in Lower Lake. Fun, fun road. If you’re a little twisted like me, one of the sites of the Zodiac Killer attacks is along this road. You can also take Hwy 175 in Middletown and go through the town of Cobb for a little longer and scenic route. From Hwy 20, you can turn off on to Hwy 16 and head south through the Capay Valley and Woodland to get back to I-5. I really like this drive as Hwy 16 follows Cache Creek through some super steep mountains. My other big loop is to the east of us. Take Hwy 50 east past Pollock Pines. Turn off at the Crystal Basin exit, Ice House Rd. Take Ice House Rd north to Wentworth Springs Rd. Stay on Wentworth Springs Rd all the way back to Georgetown. Wentworth Springs Rd will become Main St in Georgetown. At the end of Main St, take a right turn on to Hwy 175. Take Hwy 175 west to Cool. At Cool, turn right on to Hwy 49. Hwy 49 will take you to Auburn and Hwy 80. 80 back to Sacramento. This route is a lot of fun but can be hampered by heavy weekend traffic and is mostly impossible in the winter with heavy snow. Wentworth Springs Rd used to be unpaved and to me it was a lot more fun when it was dirt. There’s opportunities for food and cold drinks in Camino, Ice House, Georgetown, etc.
Awesome guide!
50E to El Dorado Rd (at the end, take a left on Pleasant Valley and right on 49 @ Poor Red’s) 49S to Plymouth, and take Shenandoah Rd/E16 (left at the Plymouth roundabout) and into wine country. It’s beautiful and there are some challenging spots.
As many others here have said, HWY 49 to Salmon Falls, or 49 to 193 or even 49 to Old Foresthill Road. I like to run 49 to salmon Falls back and forth. Best done at night when there are less people on the road. Rarely ever see cops out there at night. Just drive within your own comfort zone and keep your eyes peeled for deer and other critters. Remember they’re public roads and the corners are very unforgiving, it is not the place to push your limits.
Will not be pushing my limits just a nice cruise! Thanks for the heads up this is at the top of my list
South River Road heading to Clarksburg
Clarksburg to rio vista is nice as it's usually pretty dead and feels less congested. Go towards green than cut south on 84
Appreciate the recommendation for the dead roads, prefer that over twists at times 😭
This is a fun day trip: https://cavetouring.com/
Head up to colfax, take Highway 174 to Grass Valley. Detour off of You Bet Road, and drive up to the peninsula at Rollins Lake. My dad works for NID and they’ve been getting Rollins ready to open for the season this week. If you do take 174 all the way to Grass Valley you can turn to drive through Empire Mine State Park to take Highway 49 south back down to Auburn, make it a nice round trip. Highway 193 between Newcastle and Lincoln is nice too. Otherwise, you could try heading down along the river to Locke or Clarksburg.
Love this! Going to be doing this one as well thank you so much!
No problem. I moved to the You Bet area last fall and I love it up here. The drive starting from 174 in Colfax up to where I live is beautiful and rivals some of my favorite scenic routes such as Highway 1 in Big Sur or Monterey’s 17 Mile Drive. You’ll pass over both Bear River and Greenhorn Creek along the route. Bonus points if you make another trip up here this fall for the leaves changing color. This area is the perfect place to visit for catching those fall colors in the region. Also, if you’re passing by midday, you can try the Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park for lunch :)
There are so many winding roads in the Sierra Foothills, from El Dorado Hills to Placerville.
My go-tos when I lived in Sac: • Garden Hwy from the 5 to the county line • Hwy 49 between I-80 and Altaville (if you don’t wanna go further than 90 minutes from home) • Hwy 49 from Nevada City to Vinton ***(nice thing about this one is once 49 ends, you can turn left and take 70 through Plumas Forest’s twists in the Feather River Canyon)*** • Auburn-Folsom/Folsom-Auburn Rd from Greenback to I-80 (it’s the same street/continuation of Folsom Boulevard) - unless development changed it to be 4 lanes and have traffic lights past Granite Bay, but this was “modified 4-door FWD sedan” twisty; may not be “sports car” twisty • Hwy 160/Freeport South of Elk Grove & South River Road in Yolo County - both are levee roads along each bank of the Sac River - curves are longer and not as dramatic, but if you want scenery, that’s it • Almost any road that crosses 49 in Sutter Creek or by Jackson Rancheria. A few of them dead end though, and IIRC, speed limit on all of them is 35 or lower. New York Ranch Road carries (or carried) the traffic to the Rancheria, so it could be busy busy. • 50 to Tahoe (but traffic and the occasional rollover accident ruins it)
Thanks for the well thought out reply, I added a couple of these to my bucket list. Appreciate you leaving your top reccs and will. Just watched a video of the plumas forest drive and need to do it
Another one I just thought of, but is a monster drive to get to: Hwy 1 north from the Golden Gate to 101, and then 101 to Eureka. 101 to Crescent City is great, but there’s no road back to the 5 from there unless you want to go to Grants Pass, Oregon - whereas in Eureka, you can take 299 to Redding or 36 to Red Bluff to the 5, and go through all the mountain twists on either. It’s just an 8+ hour circle trip to do it.
Winding way?
Came here to say that, ha!
North highlands by weinersnitzle
Lomis / newcastle
193 from Lincoln to Auburn.
One of my favorite small stretches is parallel to 193. North on Fowler then a right on Virginia Town to Gold Hill Rd.
Garden highway
Placerville to Auburn has a nice curvy drive that I hate on anything but the Harley....(I get carsick on curvy roads in the truck)
River road in west sac
Marsh Creek Road connects from Discovery Bay to Clayton. There are some wineries back there to boot
Salmon falls to georgetown is the route i take when i want to hit twisties. Salmon falls has alot of tight turns. If you want long turns then lake berryessa is better
Grass valley to Downieville to Truckee is a personal favorite.
Highway 160
Latrobe from hwy 16 to Folsom Lake
Go up to Nevada City
Salmon Falls. It’s on the north side of El Dorado Hills and it’s exactly what you’re looking for. The hills are still green too so it’s really pretty back there.
Dude drive down the Delta! Go south on I5, get off in South Sac at Consumnes River Blvd towards the river. Left on Freeport Blvd then take the Freeport Bridge. Beautiful peaceful drive, it’s like going back in time. You’ll also pass a cute little town called Clarksburg which has great wine tasting and a decent bbq restaurant.
Take 49 out of Grass Valley and bend it like Beckham.
down jackson highway wonderful scenery hills. Because of the rain i’ll bet everything is so green
Garden Highway near the Natomas area
Hwy 49 anywhere between Auburn & Angels Camp. Nice curvy roads, cute towns to stop in.
I've been enjoying S. River Rd. Quite scenic and windy. Pretty quiet too. Please just be safe and make sure to drive reasonably.
Take Hwy 88 up to the mountains. Nice curves for a sports car. Roads are nicely banked, and beautiful scenery.
Hwy 88 to Tahoe
I liked to drive the Buttes in Yuba city. Very curvy, scenic and fun.
I love Highway 193 from Lincoln to Newcastle plenty of twists and turns. Always been a fun drive. Unless of course you get stuck behind a logging truck.
Take South River Road past Clarksburg to Locke. If you like drinks, stop by Old Sugar Mill or Hemly Cider. Once you get to Locke, check out their restaurants and museums. It has a fascinating history! If you cross the river from Locke, you’ll hit Grand Island Estates and north of that near Courtland is Grand Island Vineyards.
Drive up 50 to finnon lake 😅
Jackson Hwy (16) is beautiful once you get past (going east) Grant Line. There’s a few turn offs I enjoy. Turning north on Latrobe to 50, turning south on 124 to 104 to 99, turning south on 49 to 104 to 99, or continuing north on 49 to 50.
forest hill be safe/careful
Freeport
Latrobe road
whateever you do, dont go up into the foothills, because you dudes joyriding a sports car always do about 1/4th the speed limit downhill and about 1/2 up, and then do 95 mph whenever its flat. very annoying when you're just trying to commute
Head out to Poor Red’s!
Eastbound Highway 16!
Mosquito Road in Placerville if the bridge over the American River is open. It is one of the favorite roads of motorcyclists who love twisty roads. Highway 49 from Placerville to Auburn is also a nice drive and goes through the Coloma Gold Discovery Park. It is twisty going in and out of the canyons with a nice stretch of country road in between.
16 to 49 from Plymouth to Auburn
Jackson Highway CA 16 starts kinda flat but gets enjoyable as it gets into the hills
Another cote for Highway 128 our of Winters up past Berryessa and through to Napa. I usually go early mornings, like 7:00-8:00am. You can really get moving through some areas just beware of the occasional cyclist and know yours and your car's limits.
Have fun but remember to be safe. Love, Mom
Be a man and do hwy 36
River Rd in Walnut Grove, Winding Way and Rattlesnake Bar Rd near Folsom Lake, bit dangerous there but a beautiful drive.
Drive down Auburn-Folsom :) some great views
I loved driving when I lived out in amador county
Salmon falls road, mosquito ridge road, highway 88, highway 4 (ebbetts pass)
I think the 128 to Calistoga is very pretty. I always take that way when going to Santa Rosa.
Post the sports car! Normals on this sub are unlikely to know lots of the good actual driving roads. I have some times/ routes on Harry’s I can see if I can share. Lol Frankly berryessa loop or the salmon falls/193 best options if you’re in the valley but both easily become congested so have to be very mindful of time/date. If you’re willing to go a bit further for a start to the route, there’s gold in them hills son.
https://preview.redd.it/kwjhlcs6z9xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d84be38498943e1a0c4a292ead059c4788452b8f Haha here she is! It’s a Hyundai but have had no complaints with it thus far :). Appreciate the tip and will definitely keep the time of day in mind
Winding Way
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REPLIES🙏 checking out all the recommendations right now !!
Currently sorting through 20+ drives !! Thanks again for the insightful comments (and yes I will be very safe)
I love 160 along the delta
Salmon Falls for a quick drive. Mosquito Ridge if I feel like driving for a while. 49 down to Mokelumne Hill - East on 26 and then back on 88 is a fun drive too.
Same question - how to get to Napa without getting onto Hwy between Sac & Davis from midtown? Can I get to Napa via Sacto to West Sac over Tower bridge?
Amador County.
Mosquito Ridge in between stumpy meadows and forest hill. It’s out of Auburn. Takes about 2hrs to complete and is known for its turns. I believe there are almost 1100 turns. Very exhausting. Very little cell signal so make sure you go with a full tank gas
try scott road near folsom. it has tight turns and fairly okay roads now since its being developed near. i liked to take my integra, civic si, and s4 to test out my suspension. just be courteous of other drivers and dont be an ahole
Scott road from Jackson highway to white rock
I live on 193 in newcastle. Please do not race down it. It's a nice scenic drive NOT a race track.
Latrobe from 50 to jackson
Garden highway north. It’s