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Bear Creek Road (Santa Cruz Mountains)

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Bear Creek Road is a 13-mile roadway which crests the Santa Cruz Mountains.  The Bear Creek Road corridor begins at California State Route 9 in Boulder Creek of Santa Cruz County and terminates at California State Route 17 near the Lexington Reservoir of Santa Clara County.  A small portion of Bear Creek Road between Skyline Boulevard and Summit Road carries California State Route 35.

The original portion of Bear Creek Road was constructed during the early 1870s southwest of Lexington by logging interests wishing to access Zayante Creek.  The corridor was extended to Boulder Creek in 1873 by the Harmon Brothers as the Bear Creek Toll Road.  The Harmon brothers toll franchise was ultimately unprofitable and their right-of-way was purchased by Santa Cruz County in 1889 as a public highway.  Modern Bear Creek Road is generally considered to be the fastest path of travel between Boulder Creek and San Jose. 




Part 1; the history of Bear Creek Road

The first portion of modern Bear Creek Road was constructed by the Santa Clara Valley Mill & Lumber Company during the early 1870s.  The original portion of the roadway was built southwest from Lexington in Santa Clara County over the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains to a mill on Zayante Creek in Santa Cruz County. 

The 1876 Thompson Atlas of Santa Clara County displays Bear Creek Road branching southwest from Lexington to the Santa Cruz County line at the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains. 




Bear Creek Road was later extended west of the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains to Boulder Creek as a toll road.  The Bear Creek Toll Road was constructed by Oscar and Austin Harmon in 1873.  The toll franchise was ultimately unprofitable and was purchased by Santa Cruz County in 1889 and converted into a public highway.  Bear Creek Road was the fastest route of travel between Boulder Creek-San Jose.  

Bear Creek Road in the Boulder Creek area can be seen on the 1889 Official map of Santa Cruz County (courtesy Santa Cruz Trains). 


Bear Creek Road can be seen connecting Boulder Creek east to the Summit Road near White Rock on the 1902 United States Geological Survey map of Santa Cruz.  



Bear Creek Road can be seen below in a 1900-era photo from the University of California Santa Cruz collection (courtesy Scott Tucker).  


Bear Creek Road can be seen a short distance east from Boulder Creek approaching the Alpine Lodge in a 1933-era photo (courtesy Scott Tucker). 


The 1935 Division of Highways maps of Santa Cruz County and Santa Clara County show Bear Creek Road to be mostly a minor local highway.  The Bear Creek Road corridor is shown to begin at Legislative Route Number 116 at Boulder Creek and to terminating to the east at California State Route 17 near Alma siding.  The segment between Skyline Boulevard and Summit Road is shown to be part of California State Route 5 (solid red line).  



The portion of California State Route 5 carried briefly along Bear Creek Road was added to the State Highway System by the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act as part of Legislative Route Number 55.  The corridor would be assigned as part of California State Route 5 when the initial run of Sign State Routes was announced in the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works.  The corridor was later renumbered as California State Route 35 as part of the 1964 State Highway Renumbering to avoid duplication with Interstate 5. 



Part 2; a drive on Bear Creek Road

From California State Route 35 southbound the highway transitions from the one-lane segment of Skyline Boulevard onto Bear Creek Road via a left-hand turn.  



California State Route 35 southbound departs Bear Creek Road via a right-hand turn onto Summit Road.  Traffic is advised of six miles of curves ahead. 


Bear Creek Road east of California State Route 35 begins to descend from the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Traffic is advised of rough road conditions ahead. 


Eastbound Bear Creek Road descends through storm eroded terrain and passes the entranceway for Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve Alma parking lot. 

















Bear Creek Road makes one final descent and terminates at California State Route 17 near the Lexington Reservoir.  The Lexington Reservoir impounds Los Gatos Creek which covers the former town sites of Lexington and Alma.  The Santa Clara Valley Water District constructed a dam at the site in 1952.   











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