The Best Scenic Drives Within an Hour of Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek
Some of my favorite weekends up here have started with no real plan - just a direction and enough time to see where it goes. There's something about a good mountain drive that resets your brain in a way nothing else quite does. These are the routes worth taking, the stops worth making, and everything you need to turn a Sunday afternoon into something worth remembering.
Before you go
Download your route offline - cell service gets patchy fast once you're off Highway 9, and it's not a maybe up here, it's a when. Go on a weekday or early on weekends if you want the viewpoints to yourself. Fill the tank before you leave; gas stations thin out the further you get into the canyons. And time it for golden hour if you can - the light through the redwoods late in the day changes the whole drive.
The drives
Highway 236 to Big Basin Redwoods Direction from Boulder Creek: north on Highway 236
Drive time: about 25–30 minutes each way
Best time to go: year-round, though the road is narrow and slow in winter rain
What makes it worth it: some of the most concentrated old-growth redwood canopy in the range, with the road itself winding through the trees the whole way
Destination at the end: Big Basin Redwoods State Park - worth knowing before you go: the park is still rebuilding after the 2020 CZU fire, and camping in the main park isn't back yet, so treat this as a scenic drive and a walk, not a camping trip
Stop here: Boulder Creek Feed & Pet Supply or Wild Roots Market on the way out - grab snacks before you lose signal
Don't miss: the shift from open sky to full canopy right as the road narrows - it happens fast
Highway 9 down to the coast Direction from Ben Lomond: south on Highway 9 through Felton and Santa Cruz
Drive time: about 30–40 minutes to the water
Best time to go: golden hour, so you hit the coast as the light turns
What makes it worth it: you start in full redwood shade and end at open ocean - one of the more dramatic landscape shifts you can drive in under an hour
Destination at the end: West Cliff Drive along the Santa Cruz coastline
Stop here: Henry Cowell Redwoods for a short walk partway down, or grab coffee in downtown Santa Cruz before hitting the water
Don't miss: the first glimpse of ocean as Highway 9 opens up past Santa Cruz - it's easy to miss if you're not watching for it
Highway 9 up to Saratoga Gap Direction from Felton: north on Highway 9 toward the Highway 35 junction
Drive time: about 30 minutes to the gap
Best time to go: clear mornings, for the best visibility on the overlooks
What makes it worth it: ridge views back down over the San Lorenzo River basin, plus access to some of the best short hikes in the range
Destination at the end: Saratoga Gap, with Castle Rock State Park a short detour south on Highway 35
Stop here: Long Ridge/Sempervirens Vista Point, right off the highway just before the Highway 35 junction - an easy, car-friendly overlook
Don't miss: Castle Rock's sandstone formations, worth the extra two miles if you have time for a real hike
Empire Grade to Bonny Doon Direction from Felton: west on Empire Grade toward Bonny Doon
Drive time: about 30–40 minutes to the coast
Best time to go: fall or spring, when the ridge isn't fogged in
What makes it worth it: open ridgeline views, working farmland, and glimpses of the coast well before you actually reach it
Destination at the end: the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve, or continue on to Highway 1 and the coast near Davenport
Stop here: Beauregard Vineyards for a tasting if you're not driving further, or push on to Davenport for coffee by the water
Don't miss: the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve's sandhills - a strange, sandy landscape that feels nothing like the redwoods you just drove through
Why this matters when you choose a town
Here's something most people don't think about until after they've bought: where you live in the San Lorenzo Valley determines how quickly you're on open road. It flips the usual logic - you're not fighting twenty minutes of city traffic before the scenic part starts. In Boulder Creek, you're often already on it. In Felton, you're a shorter drive from the coast but a longer one from Big Basin. Neither is better. It's just worth knowing before you pick.
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