Eagle Rock Rd. and Big Basin Redwoods

Bill Bushnell — March 8, 1992

I had gone on a fast, flat 45-mile ride on Saturday with another friend of mine (Palo Alto -> Fremont -> Milpitas -> San Jose -> Palo Alto), so I didn’t know if I’d feel up to doing a ride the next day. Also, since I have been experiencing some knee pain lately, I decided to drive my bike up to Waterman Gap and meet my other riding companions there. If I got burned out on the first half of the ride, I could head straight back up CA-9.

For those who don’t know, Waterman Gap is at the junction of CA-9 and CA-236 about 8 or 9 miles north of Boulder Creek. CA-236 winds through Big Basin and rejoins CA-9 in the town of Boulder Creek.

Some notes:

While the air was clean and still, the weather was cooler and foggier than two weeks ago when I rode down Gazos Creek Rd. The fog seemed to hover over the ridges, while the valleys got all the sun.

Roads through eastern Big Basin Park:

We take a circuitous route riding through Big Basin: At CA-236 & China Grade we headed down China Grade for about 1/4 mile. At this point there is a dirt road that heads up the hill to the right. A sign indicates that the road heads toward Lodge Rd. We walk our bikes up past the locked gate and continue for another 1/4 mile or so until a fork. The road we are on continues up, but we head steeply down the road to the right. A sign warns:

“Authorized Vehicles Only”.

The “Authorized...” road is quite steep with the occasional patch of large rocks and makes for tricky descending on a road bike with thin tires. Two riders in the group with 20mm tires opt to walk their bikes down the most treacherous sections. The road looks as if it was paved at one time as the recent rains have exposed occasional patches of pavement.

After about a half mile we reach another locked gate and what appears to be a service yard for the Park. The road is paved now, and after pedaling by the workshops and other buildings we reach Lodge Rd. Lodge Rd. is a quiet paved road that roughly parallels the “lower” part of CA-236 through the park and ends near the Park HQ.

We turn left on Lodge Rd., away from the park HQ, and head uphill for a mile and then downhill until we reach CA-236. We bear straight at the junction and head on CA-236 back toward the Park HQ. After about 2/3 mile we reach the pass and the junction of Little Basin Rd. So far we’ve been zigzagging through the Park.

Little Basin Rd. and Eagle Rock Rd.

We turn left and head up Little Basin Rd. The road is paved, but rough. In about 1.5 miles we pass under a sign arched over the road for the HP picnic grounds. A couple tenths of a mile further the pavement ends abruptly. Though the road is dirt, it is smooth and easy to ride.

In another 0.3 miles we come upon a woman with a large but friendly dog. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes. We ask if the steep road cut into the hillside on our left was the road to Eagle Rock. She says, “Yes, it’s very steep, but it’s only a mile long. I’ve walked up it before with my dog.” When the rest of the party realizes we have to either walk or ride up what appears to be 15-20% grade, they say, “No thanks. We’ll see you in Boulder Creek.” I had warned them that the first quarter mile is very steep but that it becomes less so further up. It’s no use. They turn around and head back before I can convince them otherwise. I’m on my own from here.

The sign at the bottom reads “locked gate 1 mile ahead”. Undaunted, I press ahead. The first couple hundred feet isn’t so bad, but around the first turn the grade steepens and the surface becomes a jumble of large stones and bedrock. I find that with my weight over the back wheel, my front wheel lifts off the ground and I can’t steer; with my weight toward the front, I can’t get any traction. Humbled, I dismount and walk for 0.1 miles. I try riding again. This time I can keep going. The grade becomes less severe. It’s steep, but I can manage in my lowest gear (1:1). At the top I reach a locked gate. Fortunately, there is a small gap on the right through which I can pass. In a few feet I reach a “T” in the road. A half mile to the left is Eagle Rock, and about 50 yards to the right is Empire Grade.

Since I’ve been up Eagle Rock back in the days when I was a student at UCSC, I turn right and head up to Empire Grade. I reach another locked gate. This time there is no easy way to get through or around as there is barbed wire on either side. I meet a fellow who has parked his car in front of the gate.

After helping me hoist my bike over the gate, we chat for a while about the roads in the area. He wants to hike up to Eagle Rock. Just as I prepare to leave a local comes by in his old pickup truck. He parks on the road and tells us that the land is private and that we’re not supposed to go up to Eagle Rock. After talking with him a while it seems that the State owns the road to Eagle Rock and since the lookout was trashed by “kids” a while back, “they” don’t want anyone goin’ up there. When the first fellow said he wanted to hike up to the lookout, the local seemed to relent. He said he was told to keep people out of the area, but he didn’t seem to mind if someone wanted to walk up to the tower.

From Empire Grade there is a fairly new sign stating “No Trespassing”. From Eagle Rock Rd., there were no such signs. My guess is that only the 50 yards along the state-owned easement from Eagle Rock Rd. to Empire Grade is technically “forbidden”, though I have been places where locals or others have put “No Trespassing” signs along public rights-of-way, or where such signs are left intact after lands become public. Jobst tells me that Eagle Rock Rd. is public. Unless there is compelling evidence otherwise, I usually assume a road is open for travel.

The rest of the ride:

Some of you have already ridden the remaining portions of the ride, but I’ll summarize them briefly for those who haven’t.

Empire Grade starts in Santa Cruz as High Street and continues all the way up Ben Lomond Mountain for about 15 miles until it ends abruptly at the Lockheed-Martin Santa Cruz Facility. The road to Eagle Rock joins Empire Grade about 1/4 mile from the Lockheed-Martin plant.

About half way down to Felton-Empire Grade, Alba Rd. joins up with Empire Grade. I think about joining the rest of the party in Boulder Creek. They are probably eating brunch at the Old Mountain Inn right then. Then I remembered the last time I rode down Alba Rd.: steep and bumpy, seemingly endless. I could hardly look straight ahead as my neck muscles fatigued. Since I have some food with me, I decide to continue on Empire Grade and head down into Felton.

A few minutes later I pass the “Bonny Doon Airport - Private”. I wonder who flies airplanes into and out of this little airport? At Felton-Empire Grade I head down hill. As I near the bottom, the sun comes out. Felton is bustling with traffic. After riding in relative solitude on Empire Grade, the San Lorenzo River valley seems like El Camino Real. I continue across Hwy 9 for a quarter mile and then turn left on Zayante Rd. Zayante Rd. doesn’t seem to go anywhere in particular, but the there is plenty of traffic, and the narrow to non-existent shoulder is frustrating.

After passing through the small woodsy communities of Olympia and Zayante, the road heads steeply uphill until it changes its name to Upper Zayante Rd. and continues slightly downhill for a while, then steeply uphill again until it reaches Summit Rd. not far from CA-17.

I turn left on Summit Rd. and head toward Saratoga Gap. Along the way I stop near the high point of the ride at 3000 feet and eat the rest of my lunch while I enjoy the view of the San Lorenzo River Valley from the large boulders alongside the road. On a clear day one can see the Gabilan Mountains above Salinas and the Santa Lucia Mountains above Monterey.

I half hope to meet up with the rest of my party as our plan was to return via Bear Creek Rd. and Skyline, but I never see them.

Descending the west side of CA-9 to Waterman Gap, while not quite as thrilling as the east side, is still fun if you’re willing to pedal all the way.

Ride stats:

distance: 53.9 miles

climbing: 5810 feet

total time: 6:40

riding time: 4:48

average speed: 11.2 mph

maximum speed: 35.5 mph

©2004, Bill Bushnell

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