Santa Cruz, CA: Empire Grade and Swanton Loop

Cruise past gigantic redwoods, rugged coastline, and seasonal wildflowers on this 37-mile ride.

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Author:	Bicycling Magazine
Date:	17 Apr 2008 10:42:21 AM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	California (CA)
Distance:	36.84 mi (Change units)
Survey Elevation:	Total Gain: 5071 ft Total Loss: 5082 ft Net Change: -11 ft
Difficulty:	7 / 10
Tags:	California, Santa Cruz Mountains, Highway 1, Davenport
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

This 36-mile road ride links up two loops: 1) a 17.3-mile local favorite on CA 1 and Swanton Road 2) a secluded loop on the rural roads in the Santa Cruz mountains. Separately these are great rides; together they make a five-star afternoon of riding.

Start high, just above Felton at the 4-way intersection with Empire Grade and Bonny Doon Road. The first 11 miles on Empire Grade and Smith Road are mostly downhill, plunging riders in-and-out of dense redwood forests and sandstone moonscapes to CA 1. Turn right on CA 1 and grind north along some of Northern California’s most pristine coastline to Davenport, a small fishing town. Continue to Swanton Road and turn right. Ride a short but beautiful 7-mile loop past fields of Golden Poppies before turning left back onto CA 1. Head south to Bonny Doon Road. Now the hard part: Turn left onto Bonny Doon and climb 1,700 feet back to your car on Bonny Doon, Martin Road and Ice Cream Grade.

-Mapped by Russ Stevens

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Santa Cruz, CA: Empire Grade and Swanton Loop

Distance: 36.84 mi	Points: 879	Calories: none
Total Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

#	Distance	Instruction	Distance to next
1	0.00 mi	Start - West on Empire Grade	Then go 3.31 mi
2	3.31 mi	Turn Right - Smith Grad	Then go 5.33 mi
3	8.64 mi	Turn Left - Bonny Doon Rd	Then go 3.23 mi
4	11.87 mi	Turn Right - Highway 1	Then go 1.46 mi
5	13.33 mi	Turn Right - Cement Plant Rd	Then go 1.08 mi
6	14.41 mi	Turn Right - Highway 1	Then go 0.39 mi
7	14.80 mi	Turn Right - Swanton Rd	Then go 6.77 mi
8	21.58 mi	Turn Left - Highway 1	Then go 7.69 mi
9	29.26 mi	Turn Left - Bonny Doon Rd	Then go 3.88 mi
10	33.14 mi	Turn Right - Martin Rd	Then go 1.71 mi
11	34.85 mi	Turn Right - Ice Cream Grade	Then go 1.99 mi
12	36.84 mi	Stop -

Points of Interest

Start

Location: 37.058020, -122.122822
Start out from the 4-way intersection with Felton Empire and Empire Road. Park in the dirt lot and head west for a quick downhill along Empire road.

Riding along Smith Road

Location: 37.016809, -122.114754
Quiet and hardly used, Smith Road envelopes riders in a calm quietness only Redwood forests can provide.

Several homes with long twisting driveways line Smith Road.

Location: 37.018111, -122.126770

Davenport, El Jarro Mexican Restaurant

Location: 37.013245, -122.197838
Big enough for fifteen peddle strokes, this small coastal town has several options for a mid-ride snack. El Jarro, just off the main highway, is a local favorite.

Looking down the start of Swanton Loop

Location: 37.032330, -122.218738

Seasonal Wildflowers at the start of Swanton Loop

Location: 37.032330, -122.218738
Seasonal Wildflowers and idyllic farmland line Swanton.

View from Swanton

Location: 37.081818, -122.258863
Top of Swanton Road looking down. Just before you head back down to Highway One, the view opens up and the Pacific Ocean shines in the distance.