arcata to redding

I drove 299 W/B Sat. and E/B Sun. Very light traffic which did included all types of RV's going both ways. The shady areas are wet and are sand/salted often. The road was in good condition, but your rig will get dirty.

You may be right. I was just going on what the OP asked and that was Arcata to Redding.

People suggest northern or southern routes because no one drives to just to Redding! :) If the OP's destination is indeed Redding, then by all means take 299. But it is likely that the final destination is somewhere further north, or south, on I5, and Redding is just the nearest point on that freeway.

donn0128 wrote:
if your heading south you would be better off going down to 20 and cross at Clear Lake. If your going north head up the coast and take the highway to Grants Pass. Either road is far superior of a drive.

Arcata to Redding on 299: 139 miles
To go down to Clear Lake: 345 miles
To go up to Grants Pass: 332 miles

That's one heck of a lot of extra miles for a better road that I don't even think is that much better.

To the OP, it's been a long time sine I drove 299 and I've only done it in a car, but I remember it was a good road, just curvy and the drive seemed to take forever. I sure as heck wouldn't make a 200 mile detour to avoid it.

Drove 299, not bad but for not snowing for a month you think is just snowed. Very icy in some of the shady spots!

On this map

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/engineering/bus-motorhome/bus-maps/busmap-d01.pdf

299 - motorhomes up to 45' allowed
199 - motorhomes over 40' not allowed

199 follows the Smith River nearly to Oregon. Along the way it has a lot of curves, with the tightest ones up river from Patrick Creek (campground and lodge). Close to the border it leaves the river, follows a creek (at little steeper, but straighter) before passing through a tunnel. Then it is a gentle and relatively straight drive into Oregon.

299 also has a river stretch (Trinity River). Evidently the curves are quite as tight. But it also has to cross between several river valleys.

On Cal HWY 199 single trailer trucks have a maximum 65 feet overall combination length restriction, a maximum 40 feet kingpin-to-rear-axle (KPRA) length restriction, and a 30 feet KPRA advisory.

We drove 299 in November 2012. There were a few construction zones and some falling rock. It is curvy and heading east you will be climbing. Beautiful scenery but people seem to be in a hurry.

EsoxLucius wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
If your going north head up the coast and take the highway to Grants Pass.

Hwy 299 is a much better road than Hwy 199 which has king pin to rear axle and single motorhome length restrictions.

Trucks use 199 all the time. Where is the sign about king pin length?

I have always taken it in the other direction and most recently in a 32 Class A pulling a Grand Cherokee. It's a full day's trip for me. You're not going to have any more problems than you probably encountered getting to Arcata in the first place. If you were going a ways south, I would agree with going down by Clear Lake.