HomeAll TrailsPacifica to Monterey - Coastal Drive
Moderate
On-Road
🇺🇸 United States
Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: US-CA-05

Pacifica to Monterey - Coastal Drive

Added on 16 Jun 2026
Logged by @mk47

Enjoy a scenic coastal drive on smooth paved surfaces, connecting Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Bay.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Adhere to speed limits; watch for coastal fog and slow-moving traffic. Plan for scenic stops.

Weather check

At Start
4m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

37.5982, -122.4996

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 37.5982, -122.4996 @ 4m

Quick Stats

Distance
166.72 km
Type
On-Road Sector
Elevation Range
1m - 100m
Max Elevation
100 m
Max Gradient
8%
6.9%

Highlights

  • Half Moon Bay
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Emergency Simplex
146.520MHz
Team Coordination
446.006MHz
Scout Primary
146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+358 m

Total Descent

-359 m

Ruggedness Index

A measure of terrain roughness based on vertical displacement per kilometer. Values >50 indicate significant technical effort.

4.3

Tortuosity Index

The ratio of actual trail distance to straight-line distance. Higher values (e.g. >2.0) indicate a winding route with many switchbacks.

1.35

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)88%
Moderate (3-8%)12%
Steep (>8%)0%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved64%
Unpaved36%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt
64%
Gravel
14%
Dirt Track
22%
Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

1

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 31

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryModerate

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 36.599796
MAX LAT: 37.599538
MIN LON: -122.515964
MAX LON: -121.765081

Point Spacing: 98.4 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

Expedition notes, route modifications, and surface updates shared by the community.

Log Expedition Notes

You must be signed in to contribute reviews

Authenticate Identity

Be the first to review

No reviews registered for this technical sector yet. Share your experience, surface observations, or gear recommendations!