Santa Cruz Mountains driving roads
11 roads, 122 miles and 634 counted bends, ordered by degrees of turning per mile.
- Jamison Creek RoadA steep, compact climb between Big Basin Way and Empire Grade, with a succession of tight turns.
- Old Santa Cruz HighwayA wooded local-road alternative near Highway 17, with bends and driveways along the mountain communities.
- Big Basin Highway · Hwy 236A narrow forest loop through Big Basin country. Check Caltrans and park access updates before planning a through-drive.
- Bear Creek RoadA winding mountain connector above Boulder Creek, with close corners and residential entrances.
- Felton Empire RoadThe short, steep climb out of Felton up to Empire Grade.
- Highway 9 · Front SideThe front side of Highway 9: the climb from Saratoga to Saratoga Gap at Skyline, through tight wooded bends with short sightlines.
- Highway 9 · Back SideThe back side of Highway 9: from Saratoga Gap down through the redwoods to Boulder Creek and the San Lorenzo Valley toward Santa Cruz, with slower village sections.
- Soquel–San Jose RoadA mountain-to-coast connection from Summit Road toward Soquel, with forest curves and residential stretches.
- Empire GradeA ridge road above Santa Cruz, linking forest, open hills and the Bonny Doon area.
- Bonny Doon RoadA coastal climb from Highway 1 toward Bonny Doon, connecting open slopes and wooded sections.
- Hecker Pass Highway · Hwy 152The crossing over Mount Madonna between Gilroy and Watsonville, short and consistently curved.