Riding from Palo Alto to Half Moon Bay

From Palo Alto, the Pacific is just over the ridge. On a bike that ridge is about 2,000 feet high. Getting over it and down to Half Moon Bay is a rite of passage for local riders. The rewards are big: redwood climbs on quiet roads, the ridge-top run along Skyline Boulevard and a fast drop to the coast for chowder or a pastry on Main Street. The risks are real too. The roads down to the coast are state highways with fast traffic and narrow shoulders.

This page is for fit riders who are comfortable on mountain roads. It covers the two usual climbs (Old La Honda and Kings Mountain), the two descents (Highway 92 and Highway 84) and the ways home. For grades and climb profiles, read our road cycling climbs guide first.

The routes at a glance

We traced each route on OpenStreetMap with a cycling router and sampled U.S. Geological Survey elevation data. Climb figures for Old La Honda and Kings Mountain come from PJAMM Cycling. Everything here is approximate and your computer may read differently.

Start and Caltrain

All the routes start at Palo Alto station and leave town on Sand Hill Road. Electric Caltrain trains have two bike cars, so you can come in from San Francisco or San Jose. If you drive, park in Palo Alto. There is no good place to leave a car in Woodside for a day. The Skyline lots are small.

Turn by turn

Via Kings Mountain

1. From Palo Alto station, ride up Palm Drive, right on Arboretum Road and left on Sand Hill Road.
2. Follow Sand Hill west across Interstate 280, then turn right on Whiskey Hill Road to Woodside Road.
3. Ride west through Woodside village on Woodside Road and turn right onto Kings Mountain Road, which passes the historic Woodside Store.
4. Climb Kings Mountain Road past the entrance to Huddart Park to Skyline Boulevard.
5. Turn right and ride north on Skyline (Highway 35) for about 7 miles to Highway 92.
6. Turn left on Highway 92 and descend about 5 miles to Half Moon Bay. Turn onto Main Street for the town center.

Via Old La Honda

1. Ride Sand Hill Road west to its end and turn left onto Portola Road.
2. After about half a mile, turn right onto Old La Honda Road and climb 3.3 miles to Skyline.
3. Turn right on Skyline. In about 1.5 miles you pass Alice's Restaurant at the Highway 84 junction.
4. Continue north on Skyline past the Kings Mountain junction to Highway 92 and descend to the coast as above.

Traffic: the part to take seriously

The climbs are the fun part. The traffic is the hard part.

• Highway 92 is the main road between the coast and the Peninsula. Our coast guide notes that on sunny weekends and October pumpkin weekends its two-lane sections can back up for miles. Descending, you share narrow lanes with cars and trucks. Shoulders come and go. Ride early, before the weekend rush, take the lane where there is no safe shoulder and use a bright rear light.
• Skyline Boulevard is rolling and scenic but popular with motorcyclists on weekends. It has blind crests and curves. Ride single file and be visible.
• Highway 84 (La Honda Road) is narrow and winding with few shoulders. Caltrans began resurfacing it between La Honda and Woodside on September 14, 2026 and expects work through winter 2026, with one-way traffic control at various spots. Expect waits at signals and fresh, loose surfaces.
• Kings Mountain and Old La Honda are narrow but quiet. Descend them with care and expect cars coming up.

Many experienced riders avoid descending Highway 92 at busy times and choose Tunitas Creek Road or Highway 84 instead. Those routes are longer and have their own risks.

Water, restrooms and food

• Woodside. Buck's of Woodside and The Village Bakery on Woodside Road are good places to fill bottles as a customer before Kings Mountain.
• Alice's Restaurant, 17288 Skyline Boulevard. Its website lists hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and to 7 p.m. on Sunday. It is on the Old La Honda route.
• Huddart Park. San Mateo County lists the park as open from 8 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. from November 2, 2026 through February. The county also says the Toyon campground area is closed with its water off, so do not count on taps there.
• Half Moon Bay State Beach. State Parks lists restrooms with running water at Francis, Venice and Dunes beaches and pit toilets at Roosevelt Beach, with drinking water available. The page, checked October 31, 2026, also notes project work at Roosevelt Beach.
• Moonside Bakery and Cafe, 604 Main Street. Its website lists hours from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our Half Moon Bay food guide lists more.

Getting home

Most riders ride back, usually up Highway 92 to Skyline and down Kings Mountain or Old La Honda, which by our rough estimate makes a 50 to 60 mile day with 5,000 feet or more of climbing. The car-free option is SamTrans Route 294, which runs daily between Half Moon Bay and Hillsdale in San Mateo, crossing on Highway 92. At Hillsdale, change to a southbound Caltrain for Palo Alto. SamTrans buses have long carried two bikes on front racks, with room for a couple more inside when the bus is not full. Space is not guaranteed, so check samtrans.com for current schedules and bike rules. Our coast to Palo Alto guide has fares.

Closures we checked

• Highway 84: Caltrans resurfacing between La Honda and Woodside, started September 14, 2026, expected through winter 2026, one-way traffic control in places.
• Highway 92: we found no current Caltrans notice for the road between Skyline and Half Moon Bay in early November 2026. The last we saw was daytime one-way control for tree trimming on July 22 and 23, 2026.
• San Mateo County parks: Huddart's Toyon campground area is closed with water off. Sam McDonald Park listed its Ridge Fire Road closed November 4 to 6 for fuel work.

Check Caltrans QuickMap on the morning of the ride.

Safety and seasons

Late spring and fall are the best seasons, with clearer coastal skies. Summer brings fog on the coast and heat inland. Winter storms bring wet leaves, rockfall and occasional road damage. For a slower trip, see our Half Moon Bay day trip guide.

Frequently asked questions