Old California State Route 1 over Montara Mountain

[Max Rockatansky]

Something I'm working on for Gribblenation and if everything goes to plan will be tracking down this week:

Pictured below (in the link) is an article from the June 1937 California Highways & Public Works depicting the original alignment of California State Route 1 (Legislative Route Number 1) from Montara (then Farallone City) northward over Montara Mountain compared to it's planned realignment over Devil's Slide.  The original alignment of California State Route 1 featured steep grades and a large number of cliff-side curves.  The realignment of California State Route 1 over Devil's Slide was completed by November 1937 and itself would become an infamously slide prone segment of highway.  The Devil's Slide alignment of California State Route 1 would be itself be replaced by the Tom Lantos Tunnels in 2014.  Today the original alignment of California State Route 1 over Montara Mountain can be found in Montara State Beach via the Pedro Mountain Road Trail.

https://archive.org/details/california193638highwacalirich/page/n386/mode/1up?q=Fresno

[Max Rockatansky]

I paid a visit to Old Pedro Mountain Road this morning.  I started my hike (more of a run) from the Montara State Beach parking lot and followed it all the way to the top of the pass through Montara Mountain overlooking Pacifica.  Old Pedro Mountain Road is heavily weathered but in way better condition than I would expect for an asphalt road that has been abandoned for over half a century.  This must have been one hell of a drive even as part of early CA 1. 

I took a photo from the same location that was in the June 1937 CHPW overlooking Old Pedro Mountain descending into Montara:

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

B by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

My full photo album can be found below.  I want to say it was a 7-8 mile round trip from the parking at Montara State Beach, to the summit on Montara Mountain and back. 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWkEnN7

[Max Rockatansky]

This page has information on the Half Moon Bay - Coloma Road which was in use from 1879-1915 when Old Pedro Mountain Road opened:

https://www.coastsidebuzz.com/have-you-heard-of-the-old-historic-colma-road-for-hiking-biking-and-bird-watching/

[Max Rockatansky]

Time to put this to blog format...

Prior to November 1937 California State Route 1 was carried over Montara Mountain via Old Pedro Mountain Road by way of the 922 foot high Saddle Pass.  Old Pedro Mountain Road itself was opened by San Mateo County as Coastline Highway in 1915 as a replacement for the Half Moon Bay-Colma.  Old Pedro Mountain Road was one of first asphalted highways in California but despite it being a major improvement over the Half Moon Bay-Colma Road it quickly grew functionally obsolete.  Old Pedro Mountain Road was added to the State Highway System during 1933 when Legislative Route Number 56 was extended from Cambria via the coastline to Fernbridge.  Old Pedro Mountain Road was later announced as part of California State Route 1 during August of 1934.  Old Pedro Mountain Road was replaced by Devils Slide during November 1937 which hugged the coastal bluffs on western Montara Mountain.  Devils Slide featured a 4.7 mile shorter alignment, carried 1,174 feet less in elevation variance, and featured 13,821 feet less turning radius compared to Old Pedro Mountain Road.  Old Pedro Mountain Road would in time erode over the decades but remains surprisingly well preserved as part of a multi-use trail in Montara State Beach connecting Montara north to Pacifica.

The below blog traces the origins of Old Pedro Mountain Road, it's service life and decline after California State Route 1 moved to Devils Slide.  Included is a photo tour of the climb from Montara via Old Pedro Mountain Road to Saddle Pass.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/07/former-california-state-route-1-over.html

[Max Rockatansky]

Old Pedro Mountain now featured on the Gribblenation Roadcast:

https://anchor.fm/gribblenation/episodes/Former-California-State-Route-1-over-Old-Pedro-Mountain-and-Montara-Mountain-e154475