SEVENTEEN MILE DRIVE LETTERBOX:
PACIFIC GROVE, CALIFORNIA
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: August 10, 2004
Length: Pacific Grove Gate (Pebble beach market parking lot) to Letterbox; 1/4 mile.
Bike route of the seventeen mile drive; less then 10 miles
Difficulty: Letterbox; Easy.
Biking; Moderate. On-road route with some steep hills. Not recommended for kids.
Directions:
There are many gate entrances for the 17 Mile Drive, however, to reach the Letterbox by biking or hiking in (no fee) you need to enter at the Pacific Grove Gate after parking outside the drive. The Pebble Beach Market is located near this gate and also has bike rentals available. I would strongly recommend biking or driving the 17 Mile Drive as it is an absolutely scenic drive. From Route 1, take Route 68 towards Pacific Grove, not Route 68 towards Salinas. In Pacific Grove Route 68 is also Sunset Drive. At the intersection of Seventeen Mile Drive, turn left. The Pebble Beach Market is located here. The Pacific Grove Gate is just down the road. For fee and other information visit 17 MILE DRIVE .
NOTE; THERE IS A FEE TO ENTER THE 17 MILE DRIVE, HOWEVER YOU CAN OBTAIN THIS LETTERBOX WITH NO FEE BY BIKING OR HIKING TO THE BOX.
Starting from the Pebble Beach Market; Head down 17 Mile Drive to the Pacific Grove Gate. A bike trail takes you around the gate. Note; you can pick up a map of the 17 Mile Drive from the booth. Just a ways down the road, past the gate, will be a wooden fence on your right. Directly across the road to your left is a dirt pullout for cars. Go to this pullout. A small walking path heads into woods from here. Take this path a short ways up to a Y in the trail. Left would take you down to a stream, go right 8 paces (2 steps = 1 pace) to where a tree fell across the path and was cut. You'll see a small deer path on your left. Take this 9 paces to a dead standing tree next to a downed tree with its roots exposed. Inside the roots behind some bark and a rock lies the 17 Mile Drive Letterbox. We biked the 17 Mile Drive from here completing a loop. I don't know the actual mileage, as we rented bikes. I guess it to be less then 10 miles, as we didn't follow the entire 17 Mile Drive route which would contain some tough hills and traffic. This is all on-road with some bike lanes. However, the traffic is light and slow. There are a lot of scenic spots along the route which are highlighted on the tour map you can get at the gate entrance. The views are spectacular and a bike lets you see much more then a car. I'll trace the route and a few highlights. Take a right down Spanish Bay Drive towards the ocean. There is a bike lane along this section. The numbered scenic points along the route are detailed in the route map. I couldn't believe all the Black Tailed Deer we saw just hanging around the golf course. The Drive pass through the golf courses of Pebble Beach. You ride along the Pacific Ocean with windswept open views. A highlight is a stop at Seal Rock, where you can view and hear Sea lions and Harbor Seals. They even have spyglasses for viewing. There are also bathrooms here. There are some picnic tables just past here with ocean views. You briefly turn away from the ocean as you head through Cypress Point. There is a detour to view Cypress Point on your right. Another highlight along the route is the Lone Cypress Tree. The houses along the route are magnificent and varied in architecture. After rounding Pescadero Point the route heads inland and up to Pebble Beach Lodge and a shopping area. You climb a steep hill with the Peter Hay Golf Course to your left. Take the road all the way to the top of the hill and don't continue right along 17 Mile Drive. Turn left along the Peter Hay course and at the intersection continue straight onto Stevenson Drive towards Spyglass Hill. There is another steep hill to climb which brings you up to the Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Left down Spyglass Hill road brings you back to the ocean route, we kept right on Stevenson road. This is all downhill. When you finally come to a T, turn right on Old 17 Mile Drive and then a left on 17 Mile Drive/Sloat road. Take another left on 17 Mile Drive which takes you back to the Pacific Grove Gate, completing your loop.
HH
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
JULY 03, 2008
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BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING