Los Padres Traverse — mountains to sea on the Sierra Madre Road

Los Padres Traverse is a very rarely traveled mountain bike point to point route on fire roads that traverse the Los Padres National Forrest from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara, following Sierra Madre Road. The Traverse covers 83.7 miles (134.7 km) with over 10,300 feet (3,140 m) of climbing. The views expand from the Carrizo Plains and Soda Lake into the Pacific Ocean and up over the famous mountain, Sierra Madre, snow capped in all her glory.

The Los Padres Traverse promises a very long day in the saddle, and much of the route is not accessible by vehicle. There is no water along the way, so make sure to bring your own water filtration equipment and hydration packs.

You could easily make this a multi-day trip, if you prefer, and there are campsites on route. I camped in my 4x4 truck with a roof top tent and we got a friend to pick us up and shuttle us back to our camp that night, which is about an hour's drive.

This is truly a bucket list mountain bike ride or bikepacking adventure. Just make sure you do it in the right time of year when it is neither too hot or too cold.

I promise that when you finish this route - you will say never have I ever!