Info....
The Annual Redwood Run
BIKES, TENTS & MUSIC
It seems that every time a “smart person” makes a statement about life, they give you the “everything changes” line. This might work in the world of big cities, but in the backwoods of Northern California, the only thing different from one day to the next is the name of the day. WELCOME TO THE REDWOOD RUN!
This biker paradise is held on the second weekend of each June, at the Riverview Ranch in Piercy, California, about 200 miles north of the Golden Gate on Highway 101. It was once a dude ranch in the 1930’s operating until the freeway came through...remains of it can still be seen on campgrounds appropriately named “Chimney” and “Apple” flats.
If you are not familiar with it, the Redwood Run harkens back to days when bike runs were self-contained events. You rode your bike to it and set up camp with the stuff you carried on your bike. One of the last remaining real “Old School” biker parties; attendance is limited to approximately 5300... making it pretty much a private party on private property. Any and all behavior is tolerated as long as it doesn’t violate “community standards“. And since this is private property; helmet laws aren’t enforced and security is provided by the MMA offering the crowd more freedom than is accustomed at casino or fairground rallies.
The first Redwood Runs were overnight cookouts attended by about 150, now over 30 years later it has grown to more than 5,000 bikers coming from all over the U.S. and abroad. Many visitors kick off their summer vacations at the Redwood Run and stay on after to enjoy the north coast hospitality. Due north near Orick, you’ll find a large herd of Roosevelt elk and just a turn off the freeway gets you to some of the most beautiful Pacific coastline. There are so many beautiful rides that its impossible to do it all!
The Riverview Ranch offers 85 acres of scenic camping and hot showers. Campgrounds are on various flats with oak and redwood trees for shade, some have breath-taking views and the river has numerous swimming holes. There on a terraced mountainside where the Eel River bends is a natural amphitheatre; the river runs behind the stage and there is a cliff on the other side. In front of the stage is the infamous pit, where the party action is.
The Run officially opens at 9 am Friday, June 11; unofficially it starts a day or two before at numerous bars and watering holes in a dozen or so towns all over northern California. Over the years the Run has grown into a 100 -mile- long party that starts where the freeways end in places like Hopland and Upper Lake or Willits. You won’t find hotels or restaurants at this event, unless you drive into Garberville, about 12 miles away. However, what you will find is a celebration of raw lifestyle and what is left of a true biker experience.
Only carry-in items are allowed (no carry-in alcohol) and it bikes-and-tents inside the gates. Limited parking is available for trucks, cars and RV’s outside the gate. Luxurious Wine Country Tour busses provide a free shuttle down the hill to the “Pit” all weekend.
