DISTANCE: about 26 miles TERRAIN: you will know you have climbed a hill when done
Ahhh, Honey Run Road. A legendary climb in the area. While the approach to the climb has gotten ever busier as more and more people move out into Butte Creek Canyon, the climb up Honey Run remains a classic. A narrow, twisting, winding road, with hints of flat sections at some of the turns, giving you just enough time to get up a little speed for the next section of climbing. And of course, the higher you go, the steeper it seems to get.
But don't let this intimidate you – every April over 3,000 riders successfully climb Honey Run on the Wildflower Century. And climb it is what you should do -- we don't recommend coming down Honey Run for all kinds of reasons – the best reason being that one of us might be riding up it at the time!
The approach to Honey Run is simple -- get yourself onto the Skyway heading for Paradise, and just as you see the road curve to the right, be looking for Honey Run Road to your left. Meandering on Honey Run Rd. you will come to the historic Honey Run Covered Bridge, where you pass by it to cross the creek over a modern bridge just upstream. (A left turn at the Covered Bridge onto Centerville Rd. takes you up and back to Centerville – a scenic, well-traveled route used by local cyclists).
Soon after the Covered Bridge is when the real climb up Honey Run begins. Watch for the rare car – in most cases you can hear them coming long before you see them.
When you finally pop out at the top in Paradise, you will once again be on the Skyway. Make a right down the Skyway for just under a mile and keep a wary eye open for Neal Rd. on your left. The Skyway can be a dangerous place for bikes trying to make a left turn, so plan ahead carefully for this maneuver.
Once on Neal Rd. enjoy a mostly quiet downhill jaunt until you reach Hwy. 99. From here you continue across Hwy. 99 to the Oroville-Chico Hwy. A right here takes you to the Midway (there is a bike path that parallels the Midway almost all the way back to Park Ave into Chico!).