-By Mark Carlisle September 2010
I have to admit it - I’m a twisty junkie. Like many of the addicted, I have ridden countless boring super slab miles and endured mundane farm to market roads in the quest for the perfect ribbon of pavement. The good news for us central valley two-wheelers is Highway 245, tucked in the foothills between Visalia and Fresno. There’s about a zillion twists, and no waiting in line.
For my taste, 245 works better as a South to North ride, however either direction offers a delicious romp through beautiful scenery that recalls how the west was decades ago. Highway 245 has been getting some national press lately. Yet, in spite of the publicity, it is still possible to ride this dream tarmac for miles without seeing another vehicle. Those of you riding from the south can just follow Highway 216 East out of Ivanhoe, also known as Millwood Drive, and hold a steady course as 216 melds into Highway 245. Here’s a useful tip for those to the north: get your rig to Orosi and take Avenue 216 east to Boyd Drive where it tee’s into Highway 245. Take a left, and welcome to where the going gets good. One word of caution on Boyd Drive: the pavement quality is definitely “Old West” and I came close to kissing a cow on a blind corner. Ride 10/10’s at your peril. Some cruisers prefer to climb the less dramatic curves of Dry Creek Road, which tees off of Hwy 216 along the Kaweah River just west of Highway 198.
As you begin your ascent of Highway 245 through California classic oak-filled meadows, dipping and dancing on, for the most part, excellent pavement conditions that will have knees down on sport bikes and floorboards sparking on cruisers with grins for either pilot to spare. There can be some serious debris buildup on the low side of these incredible switchbacks, read the road before twisting the grip into the no traction zone. Goat Mountain seems to monitor your progress as you climb up towards timberline. Don’t get caught gazing at the scenery though. A few of the tighter cliff-side curves resemble some Peruvian roads I’ve seen pictures of. It’s a long way down and it’ll be a bumpy ride.
I have it on good authority that there are some 300-plus curves between Boyd Road and Badger. I lost track at 125. Be sure to stop in for a break at The Sisters Mountain House and enjoy a Mountain Burger. The chow is fresh and homemade, the atmosphere kicked-back and you’ll most likely be dining with local ranchers and fellow bikers. Simply outstanding, honest food and a “Don’t miss” place to re-live those 300 curves! But don’t go thinking you’re all that, ‘cause if you get out of line, Michelle, Penny, Jade, or Amanda not only serve up awesome food and cold drinks, they can put you in your place quicker than snot. In addition to the great bar and grill, there’s a game room with pool tables. In back, you can enjoy the mild mountain temperatures on their picturesque patio deck. On weekends and special events they have live entertainment. They also offer free overnight camping if you want to split a longer road trip into a couple of days.
As I continue and pass through Badger, I get an idea what all roads would look like if motorcyclists engineered them. The road playfully twists, curves, and serpentines through the trees and hills. This continues on for several miles before you come up on the Dunlap Road junction. If you’re looking to go to higher elevations, you can continue on Highway 245 through Pinehurst up towards Highway 180 and Kings Canyon National Park. My schedules dictates the lower run, so I turn west on Dunlap Road, where the road continues to tightly meander through the mountains. I always slow down a bit as I get to close to Miramonte. As I learned from on a recent ride, there’s a tight curve with a lot of sand built up on the inside shoulder, where a lot of bikes have gone down. Don’t ask me how I know this. Two scarred trees growing roadside attests the turn’s tricky nature. After passing through Miramonte, the tight curvy roads transform to smorgasbord of sweepers. As you descend into Dunlap, the pines give way to oak and buckeye trees. Another great stop on the route is the Twin Valleys Restaurant/Dunlap Sports Grill in Dunlap. Greg and his staff offer a wide menu of hearty mountain food and grog.
A couple of miles further, Dunlap Road runs into Highway 180. If you’re heading south, you get one more brief twist-fix after turning on Highway 63 at the junction just below Squaw Valley, as you head through eastern Fresno and Tulare Counties towards Visalia. Continuing west on Highway 180 will have you in Fresno within minutes.
