Ruhestein has no village, no church and no permanent population, and yet it is one of the more important places in the northern Black Forest. This is a pass on the B500, at 915 metres, where the High Road meets the road that drops west toward Allerheiligen and Oppenau, and where a junction has drawn a few inns and a car park. Today it is the gateway to the Black Forest National Park, which was founded in 2014, and where the forest is being allowed to grow wild, with fallen trunks left lying and storm damage left to regenerate on its own.
You can see this experiment clearly at Ruhestein. The Lotharpfad, a walkway through the area flattened by the hurricane Lothar in December 1999, shows how nature reclaims the space, with young birch, rowan and fir pushing up between the bleached stumps and a rich bird life. A park centre stands near the pass, a long, modern timber building, with exhibits about the forest, the wildlife and the local history, and it is a good place to wait out the rain. Lynx and wildcats are rare, but capercaillie, a large forest grouse, live in the park, and the rangers ask visitors to keep to the paths.
The riding is good. The B500 here is a flowing, well-surfaced road with sweeping views and a long run of gentle bends, and it carries heavy motorcycle traffic on weekends. There are speed limits in places, and the police do check. The side road down toward Allerheiligen drops steeply through forest to a ruined monastery and a waterfall, with tight hairpins that need attention, especially when wet. It is one of the best short descents in the area, and you will meet fewer vehicles than on the main road.
The nearest stations are in Baiersbronn, Oppenau and Achern, and you should plan to fill up before you commit. A restaurant and kiosk at the pass serve hot food, and the car park fills early on sunny days, so arrive before eleven.
Mist often hangs over the pass in the morning, and the sound of the forest dripping is a pleasure of its own.