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Start: Tesla Rd., Livermore, Ca
Finish: San Antonio Valley Rd., Livermore, Ca & Del Puerto Canyon Rd., Livermore, Ca

Distance: 28.0 miles
Estimated Travel Time: 50 minutes

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Description:
Mines Rd. starts by turning off of Tesla Rd. and proceeds past rural houses for 3.5 miles until turning off to the left. The road continues straight towards Del Valle State Recreation Area, but there isn’t much of a drive that way. After making the left to stay on Mines Rd. the road will get more and more rural.

The first part is a nice two-lane stretch that runs on the wall of a canyon. There are a nice mix of sweeping and wide turns with both uphill and downhill sections. After about 10 miles the road gets a little narrower and turns into one lane with no divided center line. At this point the road starts to get more difficult with fewer sweeping corners, but there are very few super-tight turns. After a little while the road moves from being on the wall/ridge of the canyon to the bottom of the valley. Towards the end of the Mines Rd. things open-up again before finishing at the intersection of San Antonio Valley Rd. and Del Puerto Canyon Rd.

Speed:
The posted speed limit on the road is more than fast enough through most parts, so you shouldn’t even be speeding while driving ’spirited’. Knowing that you can take a corner at a safe speed (for the corner) and not worry about having an issue with traffic laws makes this road quite fun. The speed is somewhat limited by the one lane sections with blind corners and the potential for traffic.

Road Condition:
The pavement is asphalt and is generally in good condition, there are some rough areas and a few cattle guards. There may be some rocks, dirt, or gravel on various places. Depending on the time of the year there may be shallow ‘river’ crossings, so if it has recently been raining keep an eye out. During the winter months there may even be snow.

Traffic:
This road is a local favorite for motorcyclists and bicyclists. During good weather there is a high likely hood that you will come along slow cyclists climbing the hills. There is also traffic from residents who live on the road. Typically the locals drive at a reasonable rate, but there are many pick-up trucks and other less than sporty vehicles. There are locations along the road for slower vehicles to pull-over, but not many areas to pass on the road.

The one-lane section of the road is fun to drive, but you really do have to be careful when taking the blind corners. There is often room to move over and have two cars on the road, but it could get ugly if both cars were trying to be in the same place at the same time.

Accessibility:
The road leads out into the middle of nowhere so you must come prepared. There are no places to stop for gas or repair. The only food or water can be found at The Junction Bar and Grill at the end of the road.

While it may not have many resources available, the outlet of the road is in close proximity to two great driving roads. This results in not having to drive out-and-back on the same road (not that it isn’t fun to do that either).

Length:
It doesn’t get much longer than a 28 mile, nearly one hour, drive on a single road.