BigPenguin.org

There is a remote stretch of asphalt passing through canyons, oak flats, and rugged mountains in Monterey County. Situated south of the city of Monterey, Carmel Valley Road (Monterey County Route G16) runs roughly parallel to highways 1 and 101, connecting the cities of Carmel Valley and Greenfield and offering access to a variety of wilderness areas in this starkly empty section of the state. Continue reading for maps, pictures, and thoughts on this great road.

Route Description

From north to south, Country Route G16 starts at Highway 1 at the south end of Carmel and is a major two-lane access route to the Carmel Valley. After ten miles, there is a major intersection with County Route G20 (Laureles Grade Road) which connects with Highway 68 to the north, offering more direct access to cities like Salinas and Del Rey Oaks, as well as Laguna Seca Raceway. The road then travels through the quaint Carmel Valley. This is the last gas available for about 40 miles, so fuel up here if you need it, but it is pricier than in the bigger cities of Monterey and Salinas.



After puttering through the village (if you’re the shopping and dining type, there’s several little restaurants and stores here you could explore) the road winds out of the village area. For a few miles, there are lots of driveways and usually a fair deal of traffic, but it slowly fades away to nothing. For about 33 miles, you’ve got a nearly empty stretch of pavement between you and the flat lands of the Salinas Valley near Greenfield. The road is on the bumpy side, so those with very stiffly spring cars may want to avoid this road, though in a car with adequate compliance it can be a real blast to drive and there is little in the way of potholes or extremely rough sections. After a few miles, the center stripe disappears, so those uncomfortable with driving on a one-lane road be forewarned, though throughout the road is of adequate width to pass any oncoming vehicles you may encounter.



Carmel Valley Road has hallmarks of great rally stages, or at least that’s how it makes me feel when I drive it in a spirited fashion, with blind crests, beautiful scenery, and complex apexes strung together in a near non-stop onslaught of corners. My personal favorite section is a steep downhill (when run north-south) winding its way down a mountainside in a series of open hairpins and tight sweepers with lots of road camber to help the suspension work. Other sections of Carel Valley Road are run in deeply shaded oak-filled canyons that can make sunset seem two hours sooner than usual, and then as you press onward you’ll find yourself climbing up and over open ridges with beautiful views of green valleys below or through sunny meadows surrounded by rolling hills of oak and pine.



There is only one turn to make on the route, where Carmel Valley Road meets Arroyo Seco Road a few miles west of Greenfield. Taking a left to continue to Greenfield (or a right if traveling northbound) will keep you on County Route G16 at this intersection. As the road exits the mountains and enters the Salinas Valley, you can have the choice of bearing right to stay on G16 and cross the Arroyo Seco bridge or bear left to take G17. Either way can get you to US 101; if you’re traveling southbound on 101, take G16, otherwise take G17 to Thorne Road.



Nearby routes of interest include the famous section of Highway 1 south of Carmel, Highway 25, and Jolon/Interlake Road, just to name a few.

Summary

Cruising Rating: 3/10
Excitement Rating: 8/10
Highs: Beautiful scenery, remoteness, variety of technical sections
Lows: Too bumpy for stiff cars, some cattle guards (mostly unsigned)

As always, please treat public roads with respect. Avoid pushing the limits of yourself or your vehicle, allow reaction time for unexpected animals, people, or things in the road, always honk your horn around blind corners on one-lane roads, and just generally keep it cool and stay safe. Enjoy your drive!